The Clare Valley is one of Australia's oldest and most famous wine regions, in the Mid North of South Australia. It is one of the most scenic regions, presenting visitors with a series of small intimate valleys and magnificent views. The valley runs north-south, with Main North Road as the main thoroughfare, approximately 120 km north of Adelaide.
Settlers from England, Ireland and Poland first moved into the region during the 1840s, producing a rich heritage of architecture and villages, which remain largely intact. Many of these buildings now accommodate the generous offering of guesthouses, premium restaurants and galleries. Vineyards were planted alongside those first villages and winemaking has continued ever since.
Variation is the key word when describing the topography. The region contains valleys with altitudes ranging from 300 to over 500 metres. The climate is moderately continental, with cool to cold nights and warm to hot summer days. Rainfall is predominantly in winter - spring (June - September) with an annual average of around 630 millimetres. Generally dry summers make some irrigation desirable but also ensure a minimum of fungal diseases. Varied soil types throughout the valleys are another feature, ranging from red to brown grey over basement rock.
The Clare Valley has almost religious fervour for her wines, Riesling in particular, goes back a long way. John Horrocks was the first settler in the Clare area and planted vines in 1842 at Penwortham. Six years later, in 1848, Catholics fleeing religious persecution and political unrest in Silesia, followed the lead of the German Lutherans a decade earlier and migrated to Australia. In 1851 one of their number established the Valley's oldest winery, Sevenhill Cellars, with two recently arrived Austrian Jesuit priests. Initially their cellars made only sacramental wines, but it wasn't long before they discovered a local market for their product.
The region's 40 wineries, most of which have cellar doors, make a range of styles of varietal wines, reflecting different approaches to winemaking as well as the influences of the various sub-regions and micro-climates in the valleys. Each season, the landscape of the region changes in colour and vista. From the golden red in autumn, the lush greenery in spring, and the morning mist in winter, the vineyards of the Clare Valley are a picturesque site. Grapegrowers claim the unique combination of geography, geology and climate, results in terroir that is perfect for producing world-class wine. Warm days, coupled with cool nights during the growing season provide favourable conditions for most wine varieties grown in the region.
