RIESLING AND REVOLUTION IN CLARE VALLEY

3 min read | article in Places , Wines | 23 Jan 2019

The pristine Clare Valley is a serene and secluded region that’s home to a passionate bunch of innovative winemakers. It was also the birthplace of Australia’s screw cap revolution. 

Scenic region of Riesling 

Hidden away in the Mount Lofty Ranges in of South Australia, Clare Valley is a small wine region with a big reputation for its world-class wines. A place of contradictions, this scenic region has retained its relaxed, rural spirit and offers a retreat from city life – yet it’s home to some important innovations in Australian wine, led by a community of creative makers. 

Escape to the Clare and you’ll find yourself in a postcard of rolling green hills, gum trees, wildflowers and tranquil streams. A perfect place for a picnic if ever there was one. Evidence of the region’s history and prosperity can still be seen in its historic buildings and sprawling homesteads, and there’s a growing food scene that makes the most of local produce. 

This is also Australia’s home of Riesling and any cellar door tasting will feature this bright, citrusy white wine. Clare Valley Riesling is among the world’s best, famed for its purity, rich lime flavours and ability to age for decades. Riesling typically grows best in cool climates, with cool nights and a long ripening season giving the wine high acid levels and concentrated flavours. But Clare Valley’s weather is quite warm – on paper it should be too warm to make such good Riesling. So why does it work so well? That’s largely down to its altitude of up to 500 metres above sea level, afternoon breezes and cold nights.

Pure wine from an unspoilt land

Clare Valley also produces top-quality Chardonnay, Semillon, Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon, as well as a growing line-up of alternative varieties including Sangiovese, Tempranillo and Assyrtiko. A Greek white grape variety, Assyrtiko can be similar to Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc with its vibrant citrus flavours. 

In 2006, Peter Barry, head of Clare Valley’s Jim Barry Wines, went to Santorini on holiday and fell in love with Assyrtiko. Ten years later, Jim Barry made history when it released Australia’s first bottles of commercial Assyrtiko wine. It was one in a long line of firsts for the winery – founder Jim Barry was the first qualified winemaker to work in the Clare in the 1950s, and encouraged other growers to explore new varieties, including Riesling, which was uncommon at the time. 

Stephanie Toole is another Clare Valley innovator. When she bought Mount Horrocks winery in 1993, she had never made wine before, and come harvest time she was three months pregnant yet worked day and night to produce her first wines. She now has three vineyards, all of which are certified organic, and makes some of the region’s best drops. In 2006 Stephanie was one of the first in Australia to plant Nero D’Avola vines, and today uses it to produce a popular red wine.

“We have this amazing weather,” says Stephanie. “We have clear, pure, unpolluted skies. And at nighttime the temperatures drop dramatically. And this means that we can get wonderful flavours in our [wines].” 

Stephanie and her life partner, fellow winemaker Jeffrey Grosset, were once named one of the “Famous Five Wine Power Couples of the World” by Decanter wine magazine. The pair share a winery but run separate businesses and vineyards. Jeffrey is a Clare Valley heavyweight, and Grosset Wines – best known for its collectable, age-worthy Polish Hill Riesling – has won a string of national and international awards. 

The screwcap revolution

It was the winemakers of the Clare Valley, keen to retain the freshness and vitality of their Riesling, who drove Australia’s screw cap revolution. The first trials were instigated in the 1970s by Yalumba, and in 2000, 13 Clare Valley winemakers – led by Jeffrey Grosset – banded together to champion the Stelvin screw cap closure. Consumers liked the consistency and freshness of the screw cap-sealed wines, and the design set the standard that virtually all screw caps follow today. Now it’s rare to find an Australian Riesling bottled under cork.

With its long tradition of innovation, cornerstone of classic producers and a new era of boundary-pushing winemakers, Clare Valley’s reputation for quality and consistency looks set to continue. 

Riesling grapes
Camera icon
Clare Valley is Australia’s home of Riesling, producing brilliant, age-worthy wines that are among the world’s best.
Vineyard shed in Clare Valley vineyard


Download

Clare Valley
Discover why this small wine region has a big reputation for its world-class wines.