Clare Valley
Two and a half hours north of Adelaide and a world apart: a quiet, limestone-carved landscape where Riesling achieves a crispness and longevity that rivals the best of Germany's Mosel.
Experiences
4 itineraries
The Clare Valley Walk
The Clare Valley Walk
Self-guided and guided walks through Clare Valley wine country — the Riesling Trail and beyond.
Duration
Full day
Clare Valley Wine Tours
Clare Valley Wine Tours
Winery tours and private cellar door transfers in one of Australia's finest Riesling regions.
Duration
4 hours to full day
Bums On Seats Tours
Bums On Seats Tours
Group and private wine touring across South Australia — Barossa, McLaren Vale, Clare Valley and the Hills.
Duration
Full day
Capacity
Max 24
A Taste of South Australia
A Taste of South Australia
All of South Australia's wine regions, curated by Mary Anne Kennedy.
Duration
Half day to multi-day
The Dossier
It's 130km north of Adelaide along the Main North Road, around 2 hours 15 minutes, a genuinely pleasant drive through the mid-north. Auburn, Clare, and Watervale are the main townships; the Riesling Trail cycling path runs 35km between them and is reason enough to spend a weekend. The valley is compact enough to cover thoroughly in two days and unhurried enough to reward three.
Riesling harvest is typically late February to mid-March: cool mornings and a focused efficiency quite different from the theatre of a Barossa Shiraz picking. October and November, when the vines are leafing out and the weather is soft, is arguably the most beautiful the valley looks all year. Winter is the valley at its most still, perfect for a quiet cellar door crawl with no crowds.
Riesling is the star: lean, mineral, and capable of 10 to 15 years in bottle. The Clare's dry style is one of Australia's most distinctive white wine expressions. Shiraz and Cabernet have their advocates too, especially from higher elevations. The food scene is understated but genuine: Polish Hill River artisan producers, long lunches at Auburn's Terroir, and stone buildings that feel like they've been here forever.