Lake Moodemere Estate

Lake Moodemere Estate sits at 132 Moodemere Road on the shore of the lake between Rutherglen and the Murray, a sixth-generation family property growing single-vineyard wines on vines that date back to 1870. Tastings and lakeside lunches run from the deck and lawn looking over the water, and dogs are properly welcome out there rather than merely tolerated.

The dog setup

Friendly, well-behaved dogs join you on a lead in the outdoor areas, including the deck and lawn seating. The indoor cellar door and dining room are off-limits, so book or plan around an alfresco table. The lead rule matters here: the property runs free-roaming hens and other animals around the grounds, and the resident dogs treat the place as their own.

Introduce your dog slowly on arrival and pick a table with some space until everyone has settled. Water is available on request but bring your own bowl as backup.

The vibe

This is a working estate where the setting does a lot of the talking: lake views, old trees and rows of century-old vines. The wine list leans towards estate shiraz, durif and the Rutherglen fortifieds the region is known for, and the kitchen serves platter-style lunches rather than a full restaurant menu. Hosted by the Morris family, it feels more like visiting a farm than a tasting room.

Getting there and parking

Rutherglen is about three hours north of Melbourne via the Hume and Murray Valley highways. The estate is a short drive from the Rutherglen town centre along Moodemere Road, with free parking on site near the cellar door. The Murray to Mountains rail trail passes nearby at Wahgunyah if you want an on-lead leg stretch before tasting.

While you're out there

The Rutherglen cellar door trail suits a dog day out because so much of it happens outdoors. Campbells Wines keeps water bowls out under the shade trees, and Stanton and Killeen Wines is another dog-welcoming stop listed in the directory.

The estate typically opens Thursday to Tuesday and closes Wednesdays, but hours shift seasonally, so check ahead and book an outdoor table for weekends. More options are on the Victoria dog-friendly wineries guide and the Rutherglen destination page.

Max: the resident dogs patrol the lawn like they own it, and they do. Give yours a calm start on the lead and the introductions sort themselves out.