Wine & Cellar Doors
Home of Riesling
The best wine & cellar doors in Leasingham
The Clare Valley is one of Australia's great wine regions and the spiritual home of Riesling. Family-run cellar doors line the valley from Sevenhill to Watervale, pouring crisp, age-worthy whites alongside generous Shiraz, Cabernet and Malbec. Many have poured for generations, and the welcome is famously unhurried.
The Clare Valley is one of Australia's great wine regions, and it is above all the spiritual home of Australian Riesling. The valley's cool nights, elevation and slate-streaked soils produce a bone-dry, lime-and-mineral style that ages for decades - a benchmark that producers like Grosset in Auburn and the historic Vickery label helped define.
But there is far more here than Riesling. The warmer pockets around Sevenhill and the Skilly Hills grow concentrated old-vine Shiraz and a quietly celebrated Grenache, while Sevenhill Cellars - founded by Jesuits in 1851 - remains the valley's oldest winery, still making wine beside its bluestone church.
Most cellar doors are small and family-run, often with the winemaker pouring behind the bar, and many sit right on the Riesling Trail so you can cycle between tastings. Several have kitchens for long lunches. Spring and autumn are loveliest in the vineyards, but cellar doors welcome visitors year-round across Watervale, Clare and beyond.
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Wine & Cellar Doors in Clare Valley - frequently asked questions
What is Clare Valley best known for in wine?
Clare Valley is widely regarded as the spiritual home of Australian Riesling, producing a bone-dry, lime-and-mineral style that can age for decades thanks to the valley's cool nights, elevation and slate-streaked soils. It is also celebrated for generous reds, particularly Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec. Producers such as Grosset, Mount Horrocks and Pikes have helped make the region's Riesling a national benchmark.
How many cellar doors are in the Clare Valley and where are they?
The valley is home to more than 30 cellar doors, many of them small and family-run, strung along the length of the region from Auburn and Watervale in the south up through Sevenhill and Clare. They are loosely grouped around the towns of Auburn, Watervale, Polish Hill River, Sevenhill and Clare, with Polish Hill River and Watervale especially known for Riesling. Names you will see include Sevenhill Cellars, Taylors, Jim Barry, Kilikanoon, Skillogalee, Pikes, Reillys, Eldredge and Mount Horrocks.
Do I need to book ahead to taste at Clare Valley cellar doors?
Many cellar doors still welcome walk-ins for a standard tasting, though it is wise to check opening days, as some smaller family wineries open only on weekends or by appointment. Seated and structured tasting experiences increasingly prefer a booking, and reserving ahead is strongly recommended for weekends, holidays and busy events. Always confirm current hours directly with each winery before you visit.
What is the Riesling Trail and how does it connect to the cellar doors?
The Riesling Trail is a roughly 33-kilometre walking and cycling path built along a former railway line, running through the heart of the valley between Auburn and the Barinia area near Clare. It passes vineyards, historic villages and a string of cellar doors, making it a popular and scenic way to taste your way around without driving. Bikes can be hired locally, and the gentle gradient makes much of the trail accessible to casual riders and walkers.
When is the best time to visit the Clare Valley for wine?
Autumn and spring are ideal, with mild weather, vine colour and comfortable conditions for walking the Riesling Trail or moving between cellar doors. Autumn is also when the Clare Valley Gourmet Festival, Australia's longest-running food and wine festival, takes place each May, bringing long lunches, music and special cellar door events across the region. Tickets and bus trails for the festival regularly sell out, so book well ahead if you plan to attend.