Rob Dolan Wines

Rob Dolan Wines is a working farm cellar door at 773 Warburton Highway in Seville East, in the quieter eastern end of the Yarra Valley. It pours estate Chardonnay and Pinot Noir alongside a Black Label range, and it is genuinely set up to have your dog with you rather than merely tolerate one.

Dogs at the cellar door

Dogs are welcome on the verandah and in the outdoor areas, and staff are known for bringing water bowls out unasked. The leash stays on the whole visit, owners handle the clean-up, and there is one firm boundary: no dogs in the vine rows, because of pest control around the vines. This is a settle-in-and-relax venue, so park your dog at the table rather than planning a stroll through the vines.

Bookings are worth making for weekend tastings, when walk-ins can be limited to general garden seating. Weekdays and Wednesday to Friday afternoons are easygoing.

The vibe

The setting is relaxed and rural, with a timber cellar door looking over the property rather than a polished destination-winery fitout. Tastings are run by staff who know the wines, and the food is share plates rather than a restaurant: cheese and charcuterie boards, including a vegan cheese board. The Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are the reasons locals keep coming back.

Getting there and parking

It is about an hour's drive east of Melbourne via the Maroondah and Warburton Highways. The cellar door opens Wednesday to Sunday, 10am to 5pm, and closes Monday and Tuesday. Parking is a roomy gravel area right in front, so getting a dog in and out of the car is no drama.

Pair it with

Two more dog-friendly cellar doors sit close by in Seville: Seville Estate and Morgans Winery and Distillery. If the dog needs to burn energy first, Seville Recreational Reserve has an off-leash area nearby, and Branded Burgers and Bar covers a casual lunch.

More options are on the Victoria wineries guide and the Seville East destination page.