Australia's Riesling Capital
Clare Valley is the third pillar of South Australian wine — and in one crucial way, it's different from the Barossa and McLaren Vale: you can cycle between the cellar doors. The 33km Riesling Trail, converted from a disused railway line, threads through the heart of the valley connecting winery after winery in a landscape the guidebooks call the "Tuscany of Australia." Three parallel valleys with different altitudes, soils, and microclimates produce Rieslings of extraordinary distinction — wines that are vibrant and mineral at release, developing extraordinary complexity over 15 to 20 years of cellaring. Beyond Riesling: full-flavoured Shiraz with a cool-climate spice, good Cabernet, and heritage cellar doors that date to the 1840s. Clare Valley is smaller, quieter, and less visited than the Barossa — which is exactly why it should be on your list.
📍 Location
145km north of Adelaide, ~1h45min drive. Southern gateway: Auburn.
🚴 The Trail
33km sealed cycling/walking path, Auburn to Barinia/Clare, through cellar doors
🍋 Famous For
World-class Riesling, cool-climate Shiraz, age-worthy Cabernet, heritage stone wineries
🏛️ Heritage
Wine history from 1840s; Sevenhill Cellars est. 1851 (oldest in Clare, Jesuit priests)
🚴 The Riesling Trail — Clare Valley's Signature Experience
The Riesling Trail is what makes Clare Valley genuinely unique among Australian wine regions. The old railway line that once connected Auburn in the south to Clare and beyond was decommissioned, sealed, and converted into a 33km cycling and walking path that passes directly through the wine country — through vineyards, past cellar doors, and alongside the old stone heritage buildings that give the valley its character. You don't need to drive between wineries. You cycle, taste, return to your bike, and cycle to the next one.
The trail is mostly flat — following the gentle gradient of a former railway line — with only occasional slight undulations. E-bikes are available for hire and are particularly popular: they remove any anxiety about the hills and ensure the experience stays enjoyable throughout the day. Clare Valley Cycle Hire in Clare town is the main hire operator; several accommodation properties also rent bicycles. The full 33km one-way takes about 3–4 hours of riding without stops, but most visitors choose a section (typically 10–20km) and spend the rest of the time tasting.
Starting Point
Historic stone township. The Rising Sun Hotel for breakfast. Grosset Wines is the first major cellar door heading north.
Watervale Sub-Region
Famous sub-region for mineral Riesling. Watervale Hotel for lunch. O'Leary Walker, Claymore, clos Clare nearby.
Jesuit Winery
Sevenhill Cellars and its beautiful historic church. Kilikanoon wines with their garden terrace. Polish Hill River loop available.
End of Trail
Tim Adams, Shut the Gate, Mr. Mick Cellar Door, Clare Valley Distillery. Services, accommodation, restaurants.
🍋 Clare Valley Wine Profile
Clare Valley is actually three parallel valleys — the main Clare Valley, the Polish Hill River valley to the east, and the Watervale sub-region to the south. Each has different altitude, rainfall, aspect, and soil, producing distinctly different expressions of the same varieties. This is why a Grosset Polish Hill Riesling and a Grosset Watervale Riesling — from the same producer, same vintage — taste dramatically different: they're grown in different terroirs within the same region.
- Riesling — The Undisputed StarClare Valley produces some of the world's finest Rieslings. Distinct from the Mosel or Alsace, Clare Rieslings are bone-dry with intense lime juice, citrus blossom, slate minerality, and steely acidity when young. With age (5–20 years), they develop extraordinary complexity: petrol, toast, lanolin, honey. The best examples are genuinely world-class white wines that reward a wine cellar.
- Shiraz — The Cool-Climate AlternativeClare Valley Shiraz has a cooler character than Barossa Shiraz — more pepper and spice, less jammy fruit, higher natural acidity. The result is a more savoury, food-friendly style. Jim Barry's The Armagh is considered one of Australia's greatest Shiraz wines, from 50+-year-old vines in the Clare Valley.
- Cabernet SauvignonProduces structured, age-worthy wines with blackcurrant and dark berry fruit, mint and eucalyptus notes, and fine natural tannins. Often slightly lighter in style than Barossa Cabernet, with more elegance and a longer finish.
- Other VarietiesGrenache, Tempranillo, Montepulciano, Pinot Gris, and Chardonnay are grown by several producers. The Clare Valley Distillery produces small-batch gins using native botanicals including strawberry gum and finger lime.
🏆 Must-Visit Wineries & Cellar Doors
The Benchmarks
Grosset Wines
Jeffrey Grosset produces two of Australia's most celebrated Rieslings: Polish Hill (from the eastern Polish Hill River valley — steely, mineral, age-worthy) and Watervale (more floral and accessible when young). Both are benchmark expressions of what Clare Valley can achieve. Cellar door open limited days — check ahead.
Benchmark RieslingPolish HillSevenhill Cellars
Established in 1851 by Jesuit priests who needed sacramental wine for the Catholic Church — now the oldest winery in Clare Valley. The historic stone buildings, beautiful church (St Aloysius), and vine-draped courtyard are remarkable. They still produce approximately 90% of Australia's sacramental wine. Excellent cellar door with heritage tours of the buildings and crypt.
Est. 1851Jesuit HeritageSkillogalee Winery
Set in an 1851 stone settler's cottage, Skillogalee is famous for two things: excellent wine and one of the most beautiful lunch settings in Australia — a wide veranda wrapping around the old stone building, looking over the vines. Bookings are essential (and weeks in advance on weekends). Award-winning cellar door with a devoted following across all their varieties.
Veranda LunchHeritageKilikanoon
A lovely family-run winery with a leafy garden terrace on the Riesling Trail — one of the most welcoming cellar doors in the valley. Excellent across the board: Riesling, Shiraz, and Grenache. A good place to understand the valley's geography — the team are happy to explain the terroir differences between sub-regions.
Trail StopFamily RunOther Excellent Cellar Doors
Pikes Wines
A Clare Valley mainstay on Polish Hill River. Family-owned since 1984. Known for excellent Riesling including "The Merle" reserve. Also has Pikes Beer Company on-site with alfresco garden — beer and wine in the same stop. Slate Restaurant open for lunch Wednesday–Sunday.
Trail-AdjacentRestaurantJim Barry Wines
Home of The Armagh, one of Australia's greatest Shiraz wines (from 50+-year-old Shiraz vines planted in 1968). The family has been producing wine in Clare since 1959. A broad portfolio from accessible entry-level wines to the legendary premium releases. A must-visit for Shiraz lovers.
The Armagh ShirazEst. 1959Paulett Wines
Spectacular views from the Polish Hill River cellar door. Produces Riesling in four distinct styles — the most comprehensive Riesling education in the valley in one tasting. The "Polish Hill River" Riesling is a benchmark. Bush DeVine restaurant for canapé and wine pairing experiences.
4 Riesling StylesViewsKnappstein
Housed in the original 1878 heritage-listed brewery building in Clare township — a major architectural landmark. The distinctive stone-and-timber cellar door produces medium-bodied wines that age beautifully. Great for combining with a walk through Clare's heritage main street.
1878 BreweryClare TownshipMany Clare Valley cellar doors are open Friday–Monday and some require bookings for lunch. Check websites and call ahead before arriving — particularly Grosset (limited opening), Skillogalee (lunch bookings weeks ahead), and the Polish Hill River cellar doors which are off the main trail. The Riesling Trail wineries are generally accessible without booking for tastings, but restaurants always require reservations.
🏘️ Mintaro & Heritage Villages
Mintaro is arguably the most beautiful village in regional South Australia — and very few people outside the region know it exists. Settled in 1848, it's a heritage-listed town whose stone cottages are constructed almost entirely from the local Mintaro slate. Walking its lanes feels genuinely like stepping into rural England circa 1860. The Mintaro Hotel is a beloved pub. The village is about 15 minutes' drive east of the main Clare Valley trail and is an essential detour.
The town of Auburn, at the southern end of the Riesling Trail, is a beautiful heritage stone township worth an hour's exploration before or after riding. It has a handful of excellent cafes, heritage buildings, and the excellent Rising Sun Hotel. Clare township at the northern end has more services including accommodation, restaurants (Mr. Mick Cellar Door and Kitchen, Reilly's Wines restaurant), and the Clare Valley Distillery — the first purpose-built distillery in the region, producing small-batch native botanical gin.
🍽️ Dining in Clare Valley
- Skillogalee RestaurantThe jewel of Clare Valley dining — lunch on a wraparound stone veranda overlooking the vines. Award-winning, using SA produce. Book weeks ahead on weekends. Don't miss it.
- Watervale HotelThe most reliably excellent pub in the valley — a relaxed lunch spot serving excellent food including a renowned Asado-style barbecue. On the Riesling Trail. No bookings needed for casual lunches most days.
- Reilly's Wines RestaurantIn an 1856 stone-and-slate heritage building in Watervale — a 5-course long lunch with personalised wine flights. Accommodation cottages on-site. Bookings essential.
- Pikes Slate RestaurantOpen Wednesday–Sunday lunch, Saturday dinner. Modern Australian cuisine with strong local sourcing, on the Polish Hill River estate. Excellent wine list of Pikes and regional wines.
- Mr. Mick Cellar Door & KitchenIn the heart of Clare township. Named after legendary SA winemaker K.H. Knappstein (Mr. Mick). Good tapas-style food alongside approachable wines. Open daily.
- Paulett Bush DeVine RestaurantCanapé and wine pairing experiences showcasing four styles of Riesling with matched food. More structured than a standard cellar door lunch — book ahead for the full experience.
📅 Itineraries
Depart Adelaide. Arrive Auburn (~1h45min). Coffee at a heritage cafe, then collect bikes from Clare Valley Cycle Hire or ride from accommodation.
Cycle north on Riesling Trail. Stop: Grosset Wines (limited days — check ahead) or O'Leary Walker. Watervale Hotel for lunch.
Continue north: Kilikanoon (garden terrace stop), Sevenhill Cellars (heritage tour, the church, the crypt). Check into accommodation.
Detour to Mintaro (15 min east) — walk the slate lanes, coffee at the Mintaro Hotel. Then Polish Hill River: Pikes, Paulett for the four-Riesling tasting.
Skillogalee for the legendary veranda lunch (pre-booked). Jim Barry for Shiraz tasting. Clare township before return to Adelaide.
Early departure from Adelaide. Auburn by 9:45am.
Auburn heritage walk and coffee. Grosset Wines tasting (if open — confirm ahead).
Sevenhill Cellars — cellar door, heritage tour, St Aloysius church.
Watervale Hotel lunch or Kilikanoon for wine and garden.
Mintaro (15 min detour) — one of the most beautiful villages in SA. 30 minutes here.
Jim Barry or Pikes for a final tasting before departing south.
Drive back to Adelaide, arriving ~7:15pm.
📆 When to Visit
- Autumn — March to May ⭐Harvest season is magical — the vines turn golden and red, the air cools, and cellar doors are busy with excited visitors tasting new vintages. The Clare Valley Gourmet event (typically May) brings special events, long lunches, and winemaker experiences across the region.
- Spring — September to NovemberWildflowers, bud burst in the vineyards, pleasant temperatures (14–22°C). An excellent time to ride the Riesling Trail — flowers along the path, green vines everywhere, good weather.
- Summer — December to FebruaryWarm days (25–35°C) but cool nights preserve freshness. Start rides early. Cellar doors are busy. Book restaurants ahead. Some cellar doors reduce summer hours — check ahead.
- Winter — June to AugustCool, sometimes cold (8–15°C), occasional rain. Very few visitors. Cellar door tastings are unhurried and personable. Cosy stone pubs and restaurants are excellent. Several cellar doors have reduced winter hours.
Plan Your Clare Valley Riesling Trail Adventure
From cycling between cellar doors to the Jesuit winery established in 1851, Skillogalee's legendary veranda lunch, and the hidden heritage village of Mintaro — Clare Valley rewards every visitor who makes the journey north.
Plan with Cooee Tours Barossa Valley Guide →Frequently Asked Questions
Clare Valley is approximately 145km north of Adelaide — about 1 hour 45 minutes by car. The southern gateway town of Auburn is slightly closer. The region is best visited as an overnight or weekend trip rather than a rushed day trip, as there is too much to see, taste, and cycle to rush.
The Riesling Trail is a 33km sealed cycling and walking path converted from a disused railway line, running through the heart of Clare Valley from Auburn in the south to Barinia in the north (passing Clare township). It connects many of the region's best cellar doors and makes Clare Valley uniquely accessible by bike. E-bike hire is available in Clare and Auburn.
Clare Valley is Australia's Riesling capital — bone-dry, intensely mineral wines with lime juice, citrus blossom, and steely acidity when young, developing extraordinary complexity (petrol, toast, honey) with 10–20 years of age. The region also produces excellent cool-climate Shiraz (Jim Barry's The Armagh is one of Australia's greatest) and good Cabernet Sauvignon.
Sevenhill Cellars was established in 1851 by Jesuit priests who planted vines to produce sacramental wine for the Catholic Church — it is the oldest winery in Clare Valley. Today it still produces approximately 90% of the sacramental wine used in Australia. The historic stone buildings, the beautiful St Aloysius Church, and the undercroft make it one of the most atmospheric winery visits in the country.
Yes — one of the best in Australia. The Riesling Trail is mostly flat (following a former railway line), sealed throughout its 33km, and connects directly to multiple cellar doors. E-bikes are available for hire and are particularly popular. The trail makes Clare Valley unique: you can move between tastings without driving.
Autumn (March–May) is exceptional — harvest season, golden vineyard colour, and the Clare Valley Gourmet event (typically May). Spring (September–November) brings wildflowers and pleasant cycling weather. Any time of year is rewarding — Clare Valley's combination of wine, trail, food, and heritage works in all seasons.