A Dog-Friendly Weekend in the Robertson Wine Valley

Wine farms that welcome dogs

Van Loveren, just outside Robertson, is the standout. Dogs on a lead are welcome in the tasting room, at Christina's Bistro and across the gardens. Water bowls are brought out on request. There is also a 7.5km trail through the vineyards you can walk your dog on, which is rare for a working wine farm.

Springfield Estate is also regularly visited with dogs, with plenty of open lawn and river frontage.

Policies do change, so a quick phone call the day before saves a wasted drive. Most farms that say yes mean yes to the outdoor areas and lawns, not to indoor restaurant seating.

Where dogs cannot go

Vrolijkheid Nature Reserve near McGregor is the one that catches people out. It looks like the obvious place for a long walk, but it is a CapeNature reserve and dogs are not permitted on the trails. Plan your walking around the farms and the river instead.

As a general rule in the Cape, nature reserves are closed to dogs and private farms are the ones that are open to them.

What to pack

• Water and a travel bowl. Robertson gets properly hot from November through March. Tasting rooms will refill a bowl, but the gaps between farms are where dogs overheat.
• A short lead. Almost every farm that allows dogs requires one. Working farms have livestock, farm dogs and tractors.
• Tick protection. Vineyard rows and long grass are tick country. Sort this out a few days before you travel, not the morning you leave.
• A towel for the car. The Breede River is right there and most dogs end up in it.
• Your vet's details. Robertson has veterinary care, but know where it is before you need it.

Planning the days

Two or three farms a day is the limit with a dog. The pace that works is one tasting in the morning, back to your room through the heat of the afternoon, then a walk and a second farm in the late afternoon when it cools. Dogs that spend six hours in and out of a hot car do not enjoy the trip, and neither does anyone travelling with them.

Leave at least one morning free for the river. It is the part most guests remember.

Staying at theLAB Robertson

theLAB Robertson is pet-friendly, and your dog is welcome rather than tolerated.  If you are travelling with a dog, tell us when you book so we can put you in the right room.