Clare Valley

South Australia may not be the first place you would think of exceptional Riesling, but the northern upland Clare Valley region has made the remarkable feat of producing classic Riesling. Cool nights retain acidity so well that it is rare for a producer to have to sour - an acceptable practice often necessary in regions with warm climates where wine grapes do not reach the acidity level needed (to keep wine fresh) while in transit .

Clare Valley also produces wonderful Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon wines that are soft and fruity, with excellent acidity. The area's beautiful valleys offer a diverse soil profile, including limestone and slate, and the struggling vines make for punchy, mineral-driven wines. Relatively free from the presence of mass produce, Clare feels like an unspoilt paradise for the true connoisseur like the icons of Kilikanoon Wines and Jim Barry.

One of the best (yet not-so-well-known) wine grape growing regions in the world, the Clare Valley has three parallel valleys, each with a unique expression of distinctive terroir, varying in altitude, rainfall and soil structure. Despite covering a relatively small area, the valley's numerous subregions exhibit individual microclimates particularly favorable to Riesling, Shiraz, Cabernet and Grenache, while elevation changes of 300 to 600 m result in vastly different terroir.