The Clare could be Australia's prettiest wine region. Situated
120 km north-east of the South Australian capital Adelaide,
the Clare Valley has been producing wine since 1855. Some
of Australia's greatest Riesling is produced here, while Shiraz,
Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot grown in the Clare Valley are
valued for their flavour intensity and elegance.
The Clare comprises 12 separate smaller valleys, including
the heritage rich villages of Auburn and Clare.
Main varieties: Riesling, Chardonnay, Semillon, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon
New Varieties to watch for:
Malbec, Sangiovese, Petit Verdot
Harvest Period: Early March through to late April
Location: 33°50'S, 138°37'E
Annual Rainfall:
630mm
Mean January temp:
21.9°C
Sunshine hours per day:
9.3
Soil types:
Varied throughout the valleys, ranging from red to brown grey
over basement rock
Topography: Varying altitudes from 300 to over 500 metres
Area under vine:
4000HA
South Australian Wine Region
ROLL OVER DOTS TO SELECT A REGION
Use your mouse to select a region
Vineyard
Key Milestones
The first wine was produced in the Clare Valley in 1855.
Francis Treloar planted five acres of vines at Spring Vale (later
to become Quelltaler) in 1862 and for the next 30 years there were
only a few small producers, including the Catholic Church-run Sevenhill
winery, that is still managed by the Jesuits today.
The 1890s saw the construction of a number of new wineries and some
extensive vineyard plantings.
By the late 1920s, after WWI and with the onset of the Great Depression,
the hard times had returned and most of the wineries had disappeared.
In the 1950s Clare got rich on the sheep's back, however it is wine
that began to determine the regions' fortunes from the 1970s to the
present.
Wolf
Blass established vineyards around Polish Hill in 1983 and then purchased
the Quelltaler winery at Watervale in November 1987.
