Named by Edward Gleeson, a homesick Irish settler longing for his lush homeland of County Clare, the Clare Valley has grown into one of Australia’s most popular and scenic wine regions, abounding with renowned restaurants and accommodation.

The region is most famous for its small, premium winemakers, with more than 40 cellar doors located within an easy 15-minute drive of the main township of Clare.

Larger operations such as Leasingham Wines are nestled beside well-respected names such as Jeffrey Grosset, Sevenhill Cellars, Skillogalee and Tim Adams. Regarded as the home of Australian Riesling, the Clare Valley also boasts top quality reds including Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz. The valley’s 25-kilometre Riesling Trail is a cycling and walking path that follows the old railway line between Auburn and Clare, providing a unique link between quaint townships and cellar doors.

The region took its rightful place as a foodie’s retreat in the early 1980s with the inception of the Clare Valley Gourmet Weekend – one of the first of its kind in Australia. Held annually in May, wineries and restaurateurs unite at stunning locations across the region.

The historic township of Mintaro has been declared a heritage area and almost every building has been restored. The great Australian poet, CJ Dennis, author of the classic The Sentimental Bloke, was born in nearby Auburn and raised in Mintaro by his Aunties. Mintaro is also famous for the grey slate that once provided the playing surface for most of the world’s billiard tables.

Nearby Martindale Hall is visited by some 25,000 people every year. An exercise in Georgian opulence, it was the country home of Edmund Bowman, the son of a wealthy pastoralist. He had it built in 1880, complete with a cricket pitch (which hosted the English XI), a boating lake, a racecourse and a polo field. Film director Peter Weir used the hall - both its prim exterior and its Italianate interiors - for the ladies college in his 1975 film, Picnic at Hanging Rock.

Copper was discovered in the eastern Clare Valley in 1845 and the region carried much of the State’s economic weight in the early days of settlement. Burra, (initially named Burra Burra by Afghan cameleers meaning "great great") is one of the world’s best-preserved colonial mining towns and features a walking trail through narrow streets past cottages, a jail, churches and museums, plus the spectacular open Monster Mine.

The nearby town of Kapunda was once home to Sir Sidney Kidman, Australia’s Cattle King. The Kidman family lived in Kapunda for more than 40 years and donated the family home to the community to be used as a high school.

With a fascinating blend of stunning landscapes, alluring wineries and a wealth of pioneering history, the Clare Valley is one of South Australia’s most charming and picturesque touring regions.

Article courtesy South Australian Tourism Commission

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Visitor
Information
Centres

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Clare Valley
Corner Main North Road and Spring Gully Road
Toll Free: 1800 242 131 (Australia)

Burra
2 Market Square, Burra
Telephone: + 61 8 8892 2154

Kapunda
Thomson Building, Corner Main and Hill Street, Kapunda
Telephone +61 8 8566 2902