Winedogs Hawke’s Bay: Dog-friendly wine festival moves to Paritua

Winedogs returns to Hawke's Bay this May.

A festival matching four-legged furballs with the best of Hawke’s Bay wine is returning.

And you don’t even have to own a dog to go.

Part synchronised dog walk, part wine festival, Winedogs – billed as one of the country’s largest dog-friendly events – is back in the region for its third year, after it was held at the Luna Estate in Martinborough last year.

This year’s festival will be held at Paritua Winery on Saturday, May 2, after it opened at Elephant Hill Winery in Te Awanga.

This year, the festival organisers, Napier-based creative agency Kin, have teamed up with the SPCA, donating a portion of ticket sales to the charity.

Agency owner Alice McKinley said donations would also be collected at the festival to support the wellbeing and rehoming of New Zealand’s canines.

After the 2023 event, the agency donated $10,000 to support the Hawke’s Bay Winegrowers Association after Cyclone Gabrielle.

K9 Pet Foods will treat attending hounds to meals and samples while Taradale Vets will offer free check-ups and giveaways at the festival and attendees will also have a Black Hawk goodie bag to take home.

On the day, festival-goers will begin with a vineyard stroll as dogs and their owners explore the picturesque Paritua vineyards alongside the Ngaruroro River.

Walkers will indulge in wine-tasting stations along the route, while their furry friends enjoy dog-treat stops in a setting that is usually off-limits to the public.

The festivities continue at the main estate with a line-up of food trucks, artisan stallholders and a special awards show with prizes for best in show, best dog owner lookalike and the most stylish vineyard fit.

The festival is expected to welcome around 400 to 500 guests and their dogs to the event with early bird tickets on sale now at winedogs.co.nz.