Sip, Swirl & Stay: A Dog-Friendly Guide to Glenmaggie Wines and Central Gippsland’s Cellar Doors

There’s a particular joy in discovering a wine region you weren’t expecting to love. Central Gippsland doesn’t have the profile of the Yarra Valley or the Mornington Peninsula, and that, frankly, is part of the charm. The cellar doors here are unpretentious, the pours are generous, the scenery is genuinely beautiful, and you’re unlikely to spend your afternoon queuing.

For a dog-friendly winery weekend, this corner of Victoria is hard to beat. And with Happy Days Accommodation in Tinamba as your base, the glass-in-hand logistics become pleasingly simple.

Glenmaggie Wines: The Genuinely Dog-Friendly Cellar Door

If you’re planning a winery day with the dog along for the ride, start here. Glenmaggie Wines sits on McLachlans Road in Tinamba West, close enough to Happy Days that it barely counts as a drive, and it’s one of the few cellar doors in the region that says outright: dogs are welcome. Past visitors report a friendly welcome from the resident wine dogs too, so don’t be surprised if your own dog makes a couple of new friends.

Glenmaggie is a small, family-owned single-estate vineyard founded by Fleur and Tony back in 1995, with their first vintage released in 2001. It’s proper hands-on winemaking: grapes are hand-picked, yields are kept low to concentrate flavour, and the wines have picked up their share of awards along the way.

The tasting list runs to Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Shiraz, and a couple of sparkling drops, including Fleur’s Sparkling, all made to sit alongside food rather than overpower it. There’s a share-style dining menu too, served indoors or out on the shaded deck, with views rolling out over the vines. It’s the kind of spot that rewards slowing down for a couple of hours rather than ticking off a quick tasting.

The cellar door is open Friday to Sunday, 11am to 4pm, though it’s worth calling ahead or booking through their website before you drive out, especially in the cooler months when hours can shift.

Other Cellar Doors Worth a Detour

Blue Gables Winery, near Maffra

Set among the vines on the outskirts of Maffra, Blue Gables produces cool-climate wines with real Gippsland character: restrained reds, crisp whites, and a genuinely personal cellar door experience where you’re often talking to the people who grew the grapes and made the wine. It’s a lovely stop for a tasting, but it isn’t set up as a dog-friendly venue, so this one is best visited without your dog in tow, or as a solo stop while someone else stays back at Happy Days. Booking or calling ahead is recommended, particularly in winter and early spring.

The Vines on Avon, Stratford

Situated in the Avon Valley near Stratford, The Vines on Avon is a boutique winery with a beautiful setting and a relaxed approach to tastings. The approach through the vineyard rows is genuinely lovely, and the range includes some nicely crafted wines that showcase the Avon Valley terroir. A great option for an afternoon drive from Tinamba.

Tinamba Hotel – Local Wine List

While not a cellar door in the conventional sense, the Tinamba Hotel‘s wine list is curated with a strong emphasis on Gippsland and Victorian regional producers. For guests who prefer a restaurant setting to a cellar door, a dinner at the hotel with a deep dive into the regional wine list is an entirely satisfying alternative.

Further Afield: West Gippsland and Leongatha

If you’re happy to stretch the drive, the broader Gippsland wine region extends toward Leongatha and Korumburra in West Gippsland, where a small but excellent cluster of producers are making increasingly impressive wines. A day trip from Tinamba combining a couple of these cellar doors makes for a wonderful Sunday.

Planning a Dog-Friendly Winery Day in Gippsland

Here’s the practical reality of doing a winery day with a dog in tow: not every cellar door is set up for it. Glenmaggie Wines, just up the road from Happy Days in Tinamba West, is the one we can vouch for personally: dogs are genuinely welcome there, resident wine dogs included. Others, like Blue Gables, are better visited without your dog, so it’s always worth calling ahead before you build a stop into the itinerary.

A few tips for a successful dog-friendly winery day. Call ahead to confirm outdoor seating and dog policy before you arrive, since this varies a lot between venues. Bring water and a bowl for your dog, as not all venues provide it. Consider visiting on a weekday or quieter period when outdoor spaces are less crowded. Have a plan for if the weather turns – Central Gippsland winters can surprise you.

And of course, start and end your day at Happy Days, where your dog is an honoured guest rather than a logistical complication.

The Happy Days Winery Weekend Itinerary

Friday Evening: Arrive at Happy Days. Check in, explore the five-acre grounds with the dog, then head next door to the Tinamba Hotel for a regional wine dinner.

Saturday: After your complimentary Happy Days breakfast, it’s a short drive to Glenmaggie Wines in Tinamba West for a relaxed mid-morning tasting with the dog in tow – stay for a share plate on the deck if you’re not in a hurry. In the afternoon, drop the dog back at Happy Days and duck out to Blue Gables or The Vines on Avon for a second tasting, or simply make a lazy afternoon of the gas spa back home.

Sunday: A gentle morning walk along the Gippsland Plains Rail Trail from Tinamba, then pack up after a late complimentary breakfast and head toward West Gippsland for one more cellar door on the drive home.

That is a very good weekend.

Your Dog-Friendly Gippsland Base

Happy Days Accommodation is genuinely dog-friendly in the truest sense: your dog is welcome indoors, in the gardens, and across the five acres. The outdoor BBQ area, fire pit, and rotunda are all great spaces for a relaxed evening with a good bottle from the day’s tastings.

Rooms are comfortable and well-appointed, with reverse-cycle air conditioning and bay windows overlooking the gardens and rural views. Complimentary breakfast, a fully equipped guest kitchen, and late check-out make the whole experience feel easy and unhurried.

Book your Gippsland winery weekend: 0430 054 462 | happydays@wideband.net.au | 6A Tinamba-Seaton Road, Tinamba VIC 3859 | happydaysaccommodation.com