Clare Valley wines can be described as elegant, powerful, and delicate. These exquisite wines have a history that dates back more than 160 years. The Clare Valley region, located about 120km north of Adelaide in South Australia, is one of Australia’s oldest wine-producing areas. In 1851, the Jesuit brothers founded the first winery in the region, Sevenhill Cellars winery, and started producing sacramental wine. While this historic winery still operates today, more than 30 cellar doors are open to connoisseurs and casual wine drinkers.
The Clare Valley region is best known for its standout Riesling wines, which is why Clare Valley is called the home of Australian Riesling. However, winemakers in the area also produce world-class red grape varieties. Typically, they are either Cabernet Sauvignon or Shiraz. These three wines make up the best Clare Valley wines and are responsible for more than 80% of the region’s wine production.
But that’s not all there is. Depending on your taste preference, you can also find other intriguing high-quality varietals like Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Tempranillo, and Grenache. However, they are not as widespread as Riesling, Cabernet, and Shiraz.
While there are no subregions for Clare Valley wines, wine areas are often labelled according to the growing regions. These areas include Clare, Auburn, Watervale, Sevenhill, and Polish Hill River, among others.
To find your favourite Clare Valley wines online, browse this page and choose the ones you like best. In case you also have a craving for other wines, beers, or spirits, check out the rest of our website’s extensive range of drinks. Our spirits include vodka, whiskeys, gin, rum, brandy, and liqueurs. And if you want us to deliver your order to your door, we have you covered. Our alcohol delivery services are spread across Australia, and we deliver to areas such as Sydney, Perth, and Brisbane.
What is special about Clare Valley wines?
There are quite a few things that make Clare Valley wines special. It is not only the size of the vineyards and the award-winning approach of the winemakers. The region’s wineries also operate in their unique way, and the climate provides Clare Valley wines with balanced acidity.
Compared to other popular Australian wine regions, such as Margaret River, Clare Valley is relatively small and has a low number of hectares of vineyards. For example, Clare Valley is about half the size of the famous nearby Barossa Valley. Although the region doesn’t produce as much as larger wine regions, resident winemakers continuously win countless international awards. The small area is not a secret anymore, and Clare Valley wines are found on restaurant wine lists around the world.
Because most of the wineries are relatively small and family-run, Clare Valley wineries operate more on a boutique scale and less like big-name producers with its famous brands. This is quite a contrast to these large companies which operate across the globe. Clare Valley winemakers focus primarily on quality, authenticity, character, hospitality, and relationships. Besides, the region’s winemakers always aim to incorporate current trends, are willing to innovate, and experiment with new tastes.
Apart from the mentioned characteristics of the region, there is another aspect that differentiates Clare Valley wines. The climate of the region changes with the time of the day. During the day, the grapes in the vineyards are exposed to a lot of sun and heat. At nighttime, temperatures drop, and the climate becomes relatively cool. Drops from 35°C to 0°C is not uncommon. This temperature difference helps producers create wines that have an excellent balance of acidity. And that is also the reason why winemakers in Clare Valley favour producing white wines.
What are the best food pairings with Clare Valley wines?
When you want to pair your delicious Clare Valley wines with your favourite food, there are a few things you should be aware of. Always make sure that your white or red wine pairs well with your dish and doesn’t overpower it with its acidity or boldness. As a rule of thumb, white wines pair very well with pasta, chicken, fish, and seafood dishes. Clare Valley red wine is a good choice for red meats and heavier dishes.
Clare Valley Riesling is made in a dry, crisp style and often offers distinct lime, citrus, and passionfruit notes. Its pronounced acidity and mineral freshness make it an excellent match for pairing it with an Asian or Asian fusion kitchen. This includes light seafood dishes such as raw sashimi, lightly cooked shellfish, scallops, and light noodle dishes. More mature Rieslings also pair well with Thai food, and sweet Riesling is a good dessert option.
Cabernet is another great wine produced in the region. While Cabernet Sauvignon from warmer regions sometimes tends to be bold and overpower the served dishes, Cabernet from Clare Valley offers more balance and is somewhat restrained. Cabernet’s taste of fruits and oak makes it a perfect match for pairing it with grilled steak or lamb to bring out its full range of flavours. Veggie lovers can also pair the red wine with meaty-texture food such as mushrooms and add cheese and onions.
The third of the popular Clare Valley wines, Shiraz, is the right choice for preparing various pork, beef, or lamb dishes. The flavours of dark berries, black pepper, plums, and dark chocolate pair perfectly with bacon, spareribs, braised beef, roasted lamb, and barbecued meats in gene
Read Less