Dog-Friendly Winery Stays in Australia
Ten wineries where the dog stays the night too, from Hunter Valley cottages to a Yarra Valley villa with a fenced yard, each with its own rules.
The short version
- Ten Australian wineries let your dog stay the night: six in NSW, two in Queensland, two in Victoria.
- Most set conditions: one or two dogs, a pet fee, or only certain cabins or cottages.
- Four also welcome dogs at the cellar door or on the deck.
- Book the dog-friendly room, not just the venue.
Plenty of wineries welcome dogs at the cellar door. Far fewer let the dog stay the night. These ten do, in their own words on their own websites: somewhere to sleep at the winery where the dog comes too. Six are in New South Wales, two are on Queensland's Granite Belt and two are in Victoria's Yarra Valley. The rules differ from one stay to the next, so each entry says exactly what the venue allows.
The Short Version
- Ten Australian wineries let your dog stay the night: six in New South Wales, two in Queensland and two in Victoria.
- Most set conditions: a limit of one or two dogs, a pet fee, or only certain cabins or cottages.
- Stonehurst, Granite Belt Retreat & Brewery and Ridgemill also welcome dogs at the cellar door or on the deck, and Emma's Cottage serves a treat platter for dogs at its cellar door.
Book the dog-friendly room, not just the venue. Here they are by state, starting in New South Wales.
New South Wales
All 10 are in the free Jedhi app. Mapped, and you can filter for Accommodation anywhere in the country, so the next weekend away with the dog starts with a map instead of 10 open tabs. Free on iPhone and Android.
1) Emma's Cottage (Lovedale, Hunter Valley), two dog-friendly cottages
“Our two bedroom cottages each accommodate four guests in comfort.” “These cottages are also dog friendly, so you’re welcome to bring along your four-legged friend.” Only those two are: “Only Cottage 1 and Cottage 2 are dog friendly.” The larger cottage and the guesthouse are not. At the cellar door there is a “Pawcuterie Board (For your pooch!)”, a $10 platter of dog treats. The cellar door opens Monday to Saturday, 10am to 5pm, and Sunday, 10am to 3pm.
2) De Iuliis Wines (Pokolbin, Hunter Valley), a house beside the cellar door
The Winemakers House “is just 30 metres from our busy cellar door, sleeps up to seven guests”, and “This is a pet-friendly zone, so bring your furry friends along too.” The cellar door opens seven days, 10am to 5pm.
3) Gartelmann Wines (Lovedale, Hunter Valley), a studio for two and the dog
“This one-bedroom studio is designed for couples featuring a Queen-sized bed, separate bathroom, dining area and kitchenette, air con and a log burning fire. The Studio is also pet friendly.” The cellar door opens Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, Saturday, 10am to 5pm, and Sunday, 10am to 4pm.
4) Stonehurst Cedar Creek (Cedar Creek, Hunter Valley), one cottage of seven
Stonehurst has seven self-contained vineyard cottages, and “We have 1 pet friendly cottage which they can stay in if supervised.” They ask you to get in touch for the conditions before you book. The cellar door is on board too: “Bring your four-legged friends along too - our Cellar Door is dog friendly!” It opens Thursday to Monday, 10am to 5pm, and Tuesday and Wednesday by appointment.
5) Rosnay Organic (Canowindra, near Orange), a 1910 farmhouse
“The Rosnay Farmstay is a 1910 farmhouse built of solid block typical of the era: high ceilings, brass door knobs, and fireplace.” It has one twin room and two queen rooms. “We are pet friendly but pets must be house trained, not sleep in bedrooms, and not be allowed to wander unsupervised.” “The minimum stay is 2 nights.” The cellar door opens daily, 11am to 5pm.
6) Skimstone (Apple Tree Flat, Mudgee), two houses
Skimstone lets two houses, one “Comfortable for 4-6 people” and the other “Comfortable for 6-8 people”. “Dogs are welcome.” There is a non-refundable $30 pet fee and a $50 deposit, refunded if there is no damage or extra cleaning. The cellar door opens Thursday to Monday, 10am to 5pm.
Queensland: the Granite Belt
7) Granite Belt Retreat & Brewery (Stanthorpe), cabins with a fenced dog yard
“Featuring a fenced area for dogs to roam, our pet friendly cabins mean you’ll never have to leave your furry friend behind again.” There are two of them, each taking up to two well-behaved dogs, with a $50 fee per stay, and dogs stay off the beds and furniture. “Dogs are also welcome to join you on our restaurants rear deck, allowing you to enjoy a beer tasting or meal with your fur baby in tow.” The venue opens Monday and Friday to Sunday, 10am to 9pm, and Tuesday to Thursday, 10am to 5pm.
8) Ridgemill Estate (Granite Belt), two cabins and a house
“In the interest of other guests and our own animals, we only have two pet friendly cabins and the winery escape house available for pet stays on our estate.” It is one pet per studio cabin and up to two in the three-bedroom Winery Escape House, pets must be under 30kg, and “A one-off pet tariff of $70 is applied to cover carpet cleaning.” Pet beds are provided, and you can bring the dog to the cellar door for a tasting. The cellar door opens Monday to Saturday, 10am to 5pm, and Sunday, 10am to 3pm.
Victoria: the Yarra Valley
9) Soumah (Gruyere), Villa Sophia and its fenced yard
Villa Sophia is a four-bedroom villa sleeping eight, and “Villa Sophia has a fully fenced back yard and welcomes a maximum of two dogs.” The smaller Villettes do not: “As there is no fencing, we do not allow dogs or pets to any Villette.” There is a two-night minimum. The cellar door opens seven days, 10am to 5pm.
10) Badgers Brook Winery (Coldstream), a bungalow for fifteen
“Our spacious bungalow sleeps up to 15 guests across 8 bedrooms”, and it is listed as “Pet Friendly”: “Bring your furry friends along for the stay.” The cellar door opens daily, 10am to 4pm.
If you are towing
Jarvis Estate at Bramley, near Margaret River, has eight grassy, unpowered camp sites on its estate for campers with their own chemical toilet, and “We allow dogs on our estate, as long as they remain on their lead at all times.” Sites are booked by email or on Hipcamp. The rest of the state is in WA Wineries With Caravan Camping: All Nine of Them.
The Cheat Code: How to Book a Winery Stay With a Dog
A dog-friendly cellar door and a dog-friendly room are two different promises. Every stay on this list makes the second one, but most attach conditions.
Book in this order:
- Book the right room. At Emma's Cottage it is Cottages 1 and 2, at Stonehurst one cottage, at Ridgemill two cabins and the house, and at Soumah Villa Sophia only.
- Check the limits and fees. Ridgemill allows one dog per cabin under 30kg for $70; Granite Belt Retreat & Brewery up to two for $50; Skimstone charges $30 plus a $50 deposit; Soumah takes two at most.
- Pack the dog's bed. Granite Belt Retreat & Brewery keeps dogs off beds and furniture, and Rosnay keeps them out of the bedrooms; Ridgemill supplies pet beds.
Two things people get wrong:
- Assuming the whole property takes dogs. Emma's Cottage, Stonehurst, Ridgemill and Soumah each set aside only some of their rooms.
- Leaving the dog behind for the day. Ridgemill says the pet must not be left behind while you tour, Rosnay says pets must not wander unsupervised, and Granite Belt Retreat & Brewery will not tolerate excessive barking in your absence.
Pick the stay, then let the app line up everything around it. Jedhi maps dog-friendly cellar doors across Australia, so you can plan the tastings the dog can come to as well as the bed it sleeps next to.
All the winery stays in these regions: Hunter Valley Wineries Where You Can Stay the Night, Orange Wineries Where You Can Stay the Night, Mudgee Wineries Where You Can Stay the Night, Granite Belt Wineries Where You Can Stay the Night and Yarra Valley Wineries Where You Can Stay the Night.
Every dog-friendly cellar door: Dog-Friendly Wineries in NSW and the ACT, Dog-Friendly Wineries in Queensland and Tasmania and Dog-Friendly Wineries in Victoria.