Clare Things to Do

Martindale Hall is an authentic 19th century Georgian Mansion. It was built in 1879 and was actually featured in the Australian film "Picnic at Hanging Rock". It features all the original furniture and fittings and is a nice stopping off point for something a bit different while in Clare Valley (i.e. not for wine).

They also offer accommodation, which would be pretty amazing I should think.

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the countryside, wine tasting in the many wineries, playing golf at the highly rated Clare 18hole Golf Course and all is well at lawn tennis courts.
you can hire bikes at Clare's Cycle Hire
cycling out to the old Jam Factory, which houses a much lauded Winery now.
and if you like to buy good, quality Olive Oil, you'll find it right here in Clare

at the Visitor Center you get all information and help you require for a pleasant stay in and around Clare Valley

Halfway between Mintaro and Sevenhill you'll find a number of small vineyards in the Polish Hill River Valley. Here it is worth visiting Pauletts Vineyard, with it's spectacular views from the cellar door and also Pikes, nestled in the valley itself.

There are other wineries in this area, but these were two that stand-out in my memory. Pikes makes some lovely crisp white wines and Pauletts (less famous than Pikes) had some delicious wines on offer too. The view from Paulettes cellar door alone makes the visit worthwhile.

My highlights from Watervale were Crabtree wines & Annie's Lane winery. Crabtree is a lovely boutique cellar door with some delicious wines to be tasted. We bought a dozen at a very reasonable price. Annie's Lane is a larger winery producing some very fine reds and crisp, fruity whites in the tradition of the Clare Valley. These two wineries were probably my favourites from this trip.

This small town also has a number of heritage buildings. If you pick-up a "Historic Walk" leaflet for the Clare Valley you can enjoy a leisurely stroll through this town and see the historic buildings on offer.

Quelltaler, in Watervale, also has a Wine Museum which was quite interesting.

Watervale is in close access to the Riesling Trail so it's a nice stopping off point for those exploring the area by bike or on foot also.

Annie’s Lane at the Quelltaler Estate in Watervale is a MUST-SEE for all wine lovers.

Annie's Lane winemaker Caroline Dunn makes some wonderful wines at Annie's lane. Her wines have an emphasis on fruit ripeness and a savoury structure. She was the first woman to win the Jimmy Watson Trophy and after our visit to Annie's Lane at Quelltaler Estate we can see why.

Please try their Copper Trail Shiraz.

The winery also holds a number of events on it's estate so check it's homepage for more information. Wish I were there this month as on Jan 22nd 2005 will be hosting the SA leg of "A Day on the Green" tour with many famous performers and musicians.

Crabtree is a small family run vineyard that produces a number of wonderful hand-crafted premium wines. Their muscat of Alexandria is delightful and we also enjoyed their Crabtree Watervale Riesling.

They produce small quantities of semillon, cabernet sauvignon and grenache, but their main wines are their riesling and shiraz.

I highly recommend including Crabtree of Watervale on your wine tour if you're interested in visiting one of the small boutique cellar doors in the Clare Valley.

Skilly Hill is an area located near Sevenhill. It makes for a wonderfully scenic drive and the area has a number of boutique cellar doors and vineyard lunchtime restaurants.

Skilly Hill also has a number of self-contained B&Bs.

Sevenhill is home to the oldest winery and vineyard in the Clare Valley - the Jesuit's Sevenhill Cellars. This winery is worth visiting for those not interested in wine also. The winery is in a delightful setting and you can visit the Jesuit St. Aloysius Church and it's crypt.

Sevenhill Cellars produces a number of excellent ports and wines.

Nearby is the Riesling Trail and there is a great picnic spot at the nearby Richardson Oval.