Wine gets the headlines, but the Clare Valley runs on pastry. From a national pie champion at Sevenhill to the bakers of Watervale and Burra, here's the morning circuit.
Cellar doors open at 10 or 11. Bakeries open earlier. That simple fact makes the bakery the true first stop of any Clare Valley day - and the valley takes its baking seriously.
The champion
The headline act is The Little Red Grape Bakery at Sevenhill, baking from an 1849 building on the main touring road. Its trophy shelf includes national honours at the Great Aussie Pie Competition, and the sausage rolls have a devoted following that crosses state lines. Open seven days, with lawns for the kids - time your Riesling Trail ride accordingly.
The village baker
In the south, the Watervale Bakery holds the fort for the riesling villages - the proper country-bakery experience of warm bread, strong coffee and conversation across the counter. It is the natural refuelling point between the Watervale cellar doors and the back road to Mintaro.
The copper-town classic
Out east, the Burra Bakery feeds heritage-trail walkers the way it once fed a mining town. A pie on Market Square, surrounded by 1850s stone, is Burra's version of fine dining at ten in the morning - and an honest one.
Market mornings
If your visit lands on a market day, the Clare Valley Farmers Market gathers the region's growers and makers in one spot - seasonal produce, baked goods, eggs, honey and the kind of breakfast grazing that ruins lunch plans. Check dates before you travel.
The cyclist's coffee
And at the southern end of everything, Cogwebs Hub Cafe in Auburn pairs locally roasted coffee with bike hire for the Riesling and Rattler trails - the logical start line for anyone planning to earn their pastry.
Still hungry? The whole region's table is set in a foodie's guide to the Clare Valley.
