Balancing Heart Vineyard

Balancing Heart Vineyard is a family-owned cellar door on Old Wallangarra Road in Wyberba, in the Granite Belt wine country near Stanthorpe. It is genuinely dog friendly, with well-behaved dogs welcome inside the cellar door, on the covered verandah and out in the gardens, plus the short walk to the vineyard's signature heart-shaped balancing rock.

The dog setup

Dogs are allowed on the verandah, in the garden seating and inside the cellar door itself, which is more generous than most wineries. Water bowls are put out for pets, and staff ask that dogs stay well-behaved and supervised around other guests and the resident wildlife.

The vibe

The heart-shaped balancing rock among the vines is the signature, backed by wood-fired pizza served in the garden and a relaxed cellar door tasting of the vineyard's contemporary wines. Sunset views and a fire pit make the late-afternoon slot the one to aim for.

Pepsi: a garden with a fire pit and wood-fired pizza is exactly the kind of stop worth lingering at, just keep an eye out for the local wildlife on the walk to the rock.

Getting there and parking

The address is 221 Old Wallangarra Road, Wyberba, just off the New England Highway near Girraween National Park, with on-site parking. Doors run 10am to 4pm Monday to Thursday, to 9pm Friday and Saturday and 7pm Sunday.

While you're out there

Book ahead if you want pizza, because the garden evenings are a popular weekend draw in the Granite Belt. Girraween National Park is minutes away, but Queensland national parks do not allow dogs on the trails, so stick to on-lead time in the picnic areas if you detour there. Pyramids Road Wines is another cellar door in the same suburb for a two-stop afternoon.

More options are on the Queensland dog friendly wineries guide and the Wyberba destination page.