A couple of days in South Australia’s Clare Valley is only going to give you a brief taste of what the region has to offer both in wines and food, but it’s a great start and will definitely tempt you back to discover more.

Located 130 kilometres north of Adelaide, this mid north region of the state is a very picturesque road trip with a landscape that changes with the seasons from rolling green hills, to dazzling yellow canola crops and at this time of year, the muted pastel fields of wheat.

As you drive past the farms you’ll notice amongst the crops a ruin or two which add to the interest and charm of the view.

Day 1

We based ourselves at the Clare Holiday and Caravan Park which has all you’d expect for a comfortable stay, and some of the powered sites are in a bush setting with lots of big eucalypts surrounding you. There is plenty of birdlife with a chorus of kookaburras at dusk and dawn and even a kangaroo was seen bounding along the edge of the park one morning.

In an extremely handy position is the visitor information centre at the edge of the caravan park, where you can wander in and browse local products for sale, pick up some brochures and get helpful advice from the friendly staff. They also have an onsite café.

There are more than 35 cellar doors in the region and some you can visit by cycling on the Riesling Trail. The trail was instigated by the Clare Valley Winemakers back in 1994, along what was originally a railway line. Now this 33 kilometre trail passes vineyards, bushland, farms and historical buildings and you can hire a bike, including electric bikes, from a number of places in Clare including from the caravan park.

One of the must visit wineries on our itinerary was Taylors Wines which has been crowned with the title of The World’s Most Awarded Winery. This was recognised by the World Association of Wine Writers and journalists, and wines from this family run winery regularly feature in Halliday’s Top 100 wine list.

Their Heritage Label 2022 Shiraz recently won ‘International Champion’ at VINUS International Wine and Spirits Competition and that combined with its extremely reasonable price, has seen this wine sold out at the winery.

Don’t be disappointed though, the newly opened cellar door tasting room is reason enough to visit Taylors, and their extensive selection of wine varieties still has plenty of winning tastes.

The cellar door has cosy and comfortable sitting areas indoors and out, and the tiled fireplace is a real head turning feature. It’s a comfortable and welcoming venue to enjoy a wine flight and they are more than happy for you to swap choices to suit your own tastes. Wine flights can be enjoyed paired with cheese or chocolates if you wish, or with a platter or grazing board. You can also buy wines by the glass to linger longer and partake in some lawn games provided, or take a walk around the lawned area to see the sculptures that the Taylor family have collected from Sculpture by the Sea exhibitions.

Day 2

Our next stop was Pikes Wines, yet another warm and welcoming cellar door with some different varietals including Albarino, Savagnin, and Cabernet Franc. From the tasting room you can see through to the winery’s ‘Slate Restaurant’, which has far reaching views over the vineyards. This award winning restaurant serves modern Australian dishes and has been a Chef Hat Winner in the Australian Good Food Guide for the past four years.

After a wine tasting you can conveniently slip into the building right next door which houses Pikes Beer Company. The Pike family original brewed beer at Oakbank in the Adelaide Hills, beginning in 1886 and continuing for nearly 90 years. In 1996 the label was re-introduced by the descendants of the family at Pikes Wines. The Pikes Beer range includes five regular brews and a number of limited releases for something different every now and again.

The tap room offers tasting paddles or beers by the glass which you can enjoy indoors or out, in the family friendly beer garden.

Our last stop was Mr Mick cellar door and kitchen, which is owned by winemaker Tim Adams. This is one of the wineries you can visit via the Riesling Trail and it’s a standout, being housed in an ivy covered stone building built in 1882.

One building houses the tasting room where you can sample from a range of over a dozen varieties from sparkling through to fortified wines.  The winemaker’s philosophy of making affordable wines for everyone to enjoy is certainly lived up to here and that, combined with the incredible food at Mr Mick’s made this our favourite stop.

Another building houses the kitchen and the food offered is tapas style.  A warning though, choosing from the menu can be difficult with so many tempting dishes and each of the selections have suggested wine pairings to enhance the experience.

This winery has one of the best wine club memberships going around too where you can become ‘Mates of Mr Mick’, choosing the quantity and frequency of discounted wines to be delivered to your door, a deal which proved too good for us to pass up.

All too soon our visit to the Clare Valley was over and as per usual, left us wanting more. With a region this close and with so many great wineries and eateries, a revisit is definitely in the foreseeable future.

Cheers

Glenys