Gundog Estate — Attraction in Pokolbin

Pretty good wines, but extremely disappointed with the service.

I had booked for a group of 9 over the long weekend, and we were told to arrive on-time, as we would have 45mins for tasting, and then they would have 15mins to sanitise our table before the next group (COVID-19 has meant limited numbers @ the Cellar Door, and increased cleaning routines).

We arrived at our allocated time, 1pm, and were told by the friendly hostess that they were just cleaning our table, and that they would be done shortly - say 10mins. Not to worry, these things happen. We walk around for 10mins, and then return. We were then told they were still cleaning, and that they wouldn't be much longer. This time, we loiter in the car park. At 1:25pm, my husband goes up and asks what the story is. By this stage, we are all understandably a little frustrated, as we booked so as to avoid waiting. The hostess then tells us that the group before us are still inside, and are finishing their tasting, and that the whole day has been pushed back because of a delay with the first group of the day. The fact that we were lied to multiple times definitely added to the sour taste of the whole experience.

At 1:35pm we sit down, and have our first tasting. It appeared as though they were understaffed, as the many staff were floundering to split their time between the many groups. We were basically ignored throughout our entire tasting, with another group who entered 5mins prior to us lapping up the majority of our host's attention.

By 2:30pm, we were finished what ended up being a very average experience, despite the generally nice wine. We were not apologised to because of the delay, nor were we offered to have the tasting fee waived (which would have improved our mood and thus the experience). All in all, very disappointed, and will...

My group was disappointed by misleading and dishonest communication.

Our group of 8 had booked a wine tasting and paid in advance. Unfortunately, on the day of the event, 4 of our group fell ill and couldn’t attend. When we arrived, we asked if there was any way to accommodate the absent members, given the circumstances. The staff assured us that if we made a purchase, they would “work something out” for us.

Trusting their word, we bought several bottles of wine. However, after completing the purchase, the staff backtracked and refused to offer any accommodation, citing the winery’s no-refund policy. While we fully understand the policy, the staff’s initial statement was misleading and felt dishonest. If they had been upfront from the start, we would not have made those purchases under false pretenses.

The wine and the setting were wonderful, but the lack of honesty and inconsistency in communication soured the experience. We were genuinely trying to support the business despite the circumstances and would have appreciated transparency and even a small gesture of goodwill. Instead we were met with dishonesty.

As someone who has previously enjoyed Gundog’s wines, it’s disappointing to feel let down by a lack of integrity in their customer service. Unfortunately, this experience has led me to reconsider supporting a business that does not uphold values of honesty and transparency, and I will not...

I booked a tasting for 4 adults. It was our second stop for the day and we were already behind schedule. I called the winery to let them know and they were so lovely and accommodating, it made the rushed trip over less stressful. Our tasting experience was excellent. We shared a number of small platters, cheeses and cured meats etc but of course we were there for the wine. Gundog is one of my favourite multi-region producers and the wines we tasted were of exceptional quality. My favourite being the Hilltops Shiraz and the Rutherglen Muscat. Kylie looked after really well, she made the tasting experience a real joy. Thanks team, we all had a great time and left with some wines to devour over Christmas. Would definitely recommend. Also, we went with the standard tasting, $10pp. Totally worth it. Do yourself a favour and get...