Wine & Cellar Doors
Home of Riesling
The best wine & cellar doors in Clare Valley
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.
Read our guide to wine & cellar doors ↓Browse wine & cellar doors by area
Map shows the 24 places on this page.
Atlas Wines $$
View →A small-production Clare label crafting elegant single-vineyard Riesling and Shiraz.
Clare Valley Wine, Food and Tourism Centre $$
View →The regional cellar-door-under-one-roof and visitor hub on the Main North Road, pouring wines from dozens of local producers.
Claymore Wines $$
View →A music-loving cellar door near Leasingham with wines named after rock albums and a relaxed garden setting.
Clos Clare $$
View →Old-vine Watervale Riesling and Grenache from a tiny historic vineyard once part of the legendary Wendouree holding.
Crabtree Watervale Wines
View →A small, hospitable Watervale cellar door in a historic stone winery, hand-making Riesling and reds from estate vineyards.
Eldredge Vineyards $$
View →A boutique family winery and lake-view restaurant tucked into the hills above Sevenhill, pouring estate Riesling and Shiraz.
Gaelic Cemetery Wines $$$
View →A celebrated single-vineyard Shiraz and Riesling project grown beside a historic Scottish pioneers cemetery north of Clare.
Good Catholic Girl Wines
View →A characterful small Clare label by Julie Barry, with playful packaging and serious Riesling and reds.
Grosset Wines $$$
View →Jeffrey Grosset is the benchmark of Australian Riesling, and his tiny Auburn cellar door pours the Polish Hill and Springvale wines that made the region famous.
Jeanneret Wines
View →A relaxed Sevenhill cellar door with a lakeside setting, known for its Riesling and big, generous Shiraz.
Jim Barry Wines
View →A celebrated family winery just north of Clare, home of the legendary Armagh Shiraz and elegant single-vineyard Rieslings.
Kilikanoon Wines
View →An award-laden Clare estate with a handsome cellar door, famed for powerful Shiraz and Grenache as well as Riesling.
Kirrihill Wines
View →A modern Clare winery sourcing from across the valley, with a welcoming cellar door and a focus on regional Riesling and reds.
Knappstein
View →A historic Clare winery and former brewery on the edge of town, pouring Enterprise-range Riesling and Cabernet plus craft beer.
Koonowla Wines $$
View →A historic Auburn estate dating to the 1890s, now replanted and producing estate Riesling, Shiraz and Cabernet.
Little Red Grape
View →A long-running bakery, cafe and cellar door at Sevenhill, popular for pies, coffee and local wines.
Matriarch & Rogue
View →A relaxed Clare township cellar door pouring small-batch local wines.
Mintaro Wines $$
View →A long-established small winery in the slate village of Mintaro, known for richly structured, age-worthy Riesling and Shiraz.
Mitchell Wines
View →A family winery in the Skillogalee Valley since 1975.
Founded by Andrew and Jane Mitchell in 1975, this family winery in the western hills pours classic Clare riesling and shiraz from a cellar door in an 1890s stone building.
Mount Horrocks Wines $$
View →Stephanie Toole pours her acclaimed Watervale Riesling and famous Cordon Cut dessert wine from the restored old Auburn railway station.
Mr Mick Cellar Door
View →A relaxed Clare town cellar door and kitchen from Tim Adams, with share plates and approachable wines in a heritage building.
Naked Run Wines $$
View →A boutique label named after a historic local creek crossing, making age-worthy single-vineyard Riesling and Shiraz.
O'Leary Walker Wines
View →A well-regarded Watervale producer making structured Riesling and Shiraz across the Clare Valley and Adelaide Hills.
Paulett Wines
View →A hilltop cellar door and Bush DeVine cafe in the Polish Hill River area, with sweeping valley views and native garden.
About wine & cellar doors in Clare Valley
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.
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.