20 cellar doors to visit in the Clare Valley
Visiting the Clare Valley these school holidays? Pop these cellar doors on your must-visit list, offering everything from top wines to small-batch gin, and restaurant dining.
Wines by KT
Kerri Thompson is a smart riesling specialist bubbling with enthusiasm because she is operating in her element. Her all-charm Auburn cellar door, and the varied vineyards this winemaker draws from, are in the heart of arguably the best riesling zone in Australia. While she is well-known for that zingy white drop, the retail therapy at KT is broad. In recent months, Kerri released the new Howarth Single Vineyard Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon. The initial circulation was exclusive to members so you might need to ask for it, or, stop at this Clare gateway cellar door for a tasting, and sign up.
Skillogalee
At the treasured and invigorated Skilly, the winery is renowned, the restaurant lauded – particularly in recent years with the installation of a local dream team running both sides of the show – and there also are great cottage stays. It is one of the prettiest settings in which to wine and dine. Highly respected wines include cracker small-batch and museum gems, while the exacting Trevarrick range is tantalising, mostly only for “friends and family” members. Locals say recent rejuvenations, even with re-location of the under-renovation restaurant to the Barrel House, make Skilly one of the best dining places in the district.
Claymore
Wine, fun, music and “football”, are unashamed passions at this winery – in that order. A love of the global game influences some labels, including the limited edition of a shiraz cabernet released in May, 2025, to commemorate Liverpool’s 20th League Title win. There’s also a newly-named savvy blanc, with a quirky look by Spanish artist Helena Perez Garcia, leading the Cosmic Girl range. A cellar door visit might get you browsing further at the Gladrags & More by Gert section. What started as an early 2025 pop-up seems to be enduring, with vintage and pre-loved clothing, decor gifts, books and more. Sip, shop, enjoy.
Three Little Birds Distillery
It’s a small-batch gin cellar door with a good dash more. The Adelaide-based company has been busy with a move to a new extension in its Auburn digs, complete with gin tasting area and displays, plus a pizza oven and shiny kitchen to service casual bites and special events. And for those in your party who have different drink loves, there is a full range of spirits, a selection of wines and beers from nearby Jeanneret Wines and Prancing Pony. Drinks, perhaps a cocktail or two, and a pizza on the lawns make for a lovely day out.
O’Leary Walker
In an uncommonly smart and successful partnership, winemakers David O’Leary and Nick Walker continue to endure and excel. They are the backbone of a well-rounded accessible wine-plus business, and keenly embrace change, not only in certain wine-making techniques, but also in meeting their market. The stunning cellar door and a la carte restaurant are popular choices for events. Recent additions give families more joy. Special platters for children, and for dogs, are among the offerings. Adding to the tasting fun is a delicious alliance with Adelaide chocolatier Adixions, enabling an interesting wine and chocolate flight experience.
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Good Catholic Girl
Raised in the Jim Barry fold, Julie Barry dreamed of “doing it my way”. She credits her father Jim with choosing the perfect starting point, a property called Limerick in Armagh. Her mum Nancy proudly watched her kicking goals, “and I have no doubt my father would raise his glass to my project”. Julie’s label salutes her stoic Catholic grandmothers and all the good Catholic girls who sought refuge in the Valley’s pioneering days. Ever tongue-in-cheek, Julie suspects “my own swag of devotees believe consumption of GCG wines will fast track them to heaven”. Julie’s “Vestry”, complete with cosy winter fire, opens for tastings on weekends.
Shut the Gate
Richard Woods, aka “The Dreamer”, grew up visiting family properties with his dad, learning many life rules, and “haggling with siblings over who would open and shut the gates”. He believes the term also has connotations in winemaking, business and life in general. While Richard believes rules help, his dreamer personality brings an interesting array of wines into play, along with co-owner, mover and shaker Rasa Fabian, affectionately known as the Gate Keeper. A side-kick Snowy Mountains sister venture further fuels their penchant for cool-climate wines. Taste the spoils, with a DIY platter, in the Clare cellar door and Bliss Garden.
Jim Barry
Easily one of the best-known names in wine in South Australia, Jim Barry is steeped in family history and superb winemaking traditions. Today, with the third generation at the helm, there are myriad ways to taste the broad and highly respected stable of wines. Read on to the Spoil Yourself section for their vineyard experiences. At the cellar door, a variety of “immersion tastings” are available from $30, with the fees redeemed on purchases. For the “ultimate” wine experience, book in for a session in a private tasting room featuring three vintages, including back vintages no longer available to the public. That’s special.
Pikes
When in a restaurant faced with a hefty menu of drops we might not recognise, the Pikes label is one to hinge on, and order, because you just know it will be good. Visit the cellar door and more education awaits, not only regarding the excellent rieslings, reds, more whites and rosés, but also about a lesser-known feature. Did you know Pikes has a beer garden? Alongside all the fine wine, and a superb restaurant, Pikes also makes beer – a pilsener, pale ale, IPA, and stout, as well as occasional limited releases. The cellar door, brewery and beer garden are open daily for dining and tasting.
Jeanneret
Most weekends a food truck or two are on site, and there is a providore fridge to build your own platter. They complete a welcoming scene for relaxing on the deck in summer or by the fire in winter. And there is no charge for wine tastings. Established in 1992, the Jeanneret family “were led heart first into the region’s vineyards”. It began with a passion for making wine purely for their own enjoyment and organically expanded into a livelihood, so a cellar door soon followed. Each vintage is different, with input from local wine growers as well as Jeanneret’s own vineyards in Armagh Valley, north-west of Clare.
Pauletts
In recent years, second-generation Matt Paulett and his wife Ali have steered this popular small-batch winery, restaurant and cellar door to a swag of awards. World acclaim has been bestowed on its rieslings, with their Polish Hill’s distinctive “flinty minerality”. A full stable of wines is available in the cellar door and at the popular Bush DeVine restaurant where the food is wine-friendly. The team also furnishes the tasting area with delicious canapes which complement the experience. And, founder Neil Paulett is behind the winery’s own Last Minute Beer, an “extra special bitter” fashioned to fit his frothy preference.
Tim Adams
These are noteworthy times as Tim Adams celebrates his 50th year in the industry and 38 years of his own wines. Capping it off was a win for the Tim Adams Pinot Gris, named Best in Australia in the 2025 Dan Murphy’s Best in Glass Awards. Never resting on any laurels, a new “treat” experience has been crafted. Taste of the Clare Valley is an e-bike jaunt. At your own pace, ride to tastings and tapas-style lunch at Mr. Mick Cellar Door, then an exceptional scenic route to Tim Adams for some back-vintage tastings before a two-minute pedal to a gin flight at the new Clare Valley Distillery.
Knappstein
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It’s an interesting walk through history at this winery. The business, first named Clare Enterprise Winery, was established by Tim Knappstein in 1974. The cellar door and winery workings are still based in the original Enterprise Brewery building, circa 1878, which is heritage-listed and considered a major landmark depicting the progression of the Clare township. While the name soon changed to fit the Knappstein family involvement, the site’s colourful past and place in the local community is well documented. Tastings traverse limited releases, museum back vintages and cellar exclusives. And the space regularly hosts special events and art exhibitions.
Eldredge
It’s all in place for a lovely day out. Consider in-house DIY picnics and platters, views over a picturesque dam, and a timber deck adjacent the cellar door where you can taste and buy great wines. The stone cottage cellar door provides a good part of the ambience. It was built around 1920, then fully renovated when Leigh and Karen Eldredge started their winery on the site in 1994. The couple love a good party and actively encourage celebrations and host Clare-centric occasions. It works in with the very approachable and affordable stable of wines, plus regular deals on cleanskins.
Millon Wines
A glass of Millon wine will transport your taste buds to the rolling hills of estate-grown vineyards in the state’s best wine regions. Millon’s Clare Valley estate provides a stunning venue for weddings and exclusive stays, surrounded by the vineyards which are hand-tended by winemaker Angus Wardlaw. Guests can book three or more nights of peaceful luxury with in-house wine tastings, breakfast provisions and serene views. The two-storey federation-inspired sandstone homestead can sleep up to 10 and guests can make the most of the pool, spa and tennis court, all set against captivating vineyard views.
Hill River
Slow down, relax, have a picnic, with wine of course. Watery outlooks, vines and gum trees, plus extensive lawns, outdoor games and shaded tables make this a spot for lingering. This is one of the Valley’s younger cellar doors, set up by the Jaeschke Family. In a sideways shift, they turned their farming experience into the vineyard in 2010, calling it “life over the hill”, and happily report it is a thriving concern, and “we sure are one to watch”. You don’t have to pack lunch. There is a providore fridge to build your own little spread to go with tastings and local beer.
Velvet & Willow
This multi-use space is truly as charming as it sounds. Tastings are complimentary in the cellar door, which opens for a small window for samplings on Friday and Saturday afternoons, or by appointment. A small collection of Velvet & Willow wines are complemented by a few gems from Tasmania, the Barossa and Adelaide Hills. Or, you can buy the wines at the adjacent café and pantry, also loaded with rustic appeal. Right next door are two historic cottages for two to four guests and a delightful, creatively unruly garden to explore, before you settle in for a wine, good coffees and pantry treats.
Mitchell
Hilary, Angus and Edwina Mitchell couldn’t help but venture into the family wine business. The third-generation siblings grew up with their mum and dad, Andrew and Jane, who drew them into nightly conversations about their passions, viticulture and wine. Like their parents, the trio travelled the world to learn about global approaches to wine and to help the family business evolve into a concertedly “new generation of winemaking”. Over cellar-door tastings, and perhaps a picnic, you will get the feel of the family’s work to transition into sustainable practices, all built on a solid history dating back to 1949 and grandad Peter McNicol Mitchell’s dairy, orchard and then-small vineyard.
Taylors
The Valley is spritzed with boutique wineries and cellar doors, but sometimes we also like to visit the bustling digs of the bigger names famous on world stages. The very smart and relatively new Taylors cellar door wins praise from locals, not only for architectural interest. They happily recommend the many offerings, because the Taylor stable is so broad. Yes, there are the highly recognisable table wines, but be sure to book in for tastings of the specialised small-batch, Estate, or Masterstroke collections and more. You might team favoured wines you have discovered with a relaxed grazing board, platter or pizza lunch.
Reillys
What a sweet package of wining, dining and staying in the darling heritage-listed township of Mintaro. Reillys’ enchanting setting reflects the village feel and badge of importance. The cellar door is open daily. Valley fruit and traditional winemaking go into four ranges, the premium RCV, signature Dry Land, ever-popular Reillys labels, and a “Barking Mad” selection. The restaurant opens weekdays, with a “long lunch indulgence experience” on weekends. The space is intimate and popular, so be sure to book. The adjacent super-cute cottages are an excellent base for a Clare Valley getaway.
This article first appeared in the 2025 issue of SALIFE Food+Wine+Travel magazine.
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