The walking is glorious on the Wine & Wilderness Trail in South Australia‘s Clare Valley. We pass blue gum flowers on the crest of hills as well as deep purple patches of wild lavender. Rustles in the trees at times reveal a wallaby. My guide, Tim Grigg, says he often sees echidnas and koalas, but I was holding out for a kangaroo; perhaps he and I would see one scampering between the orderly rows of vines.
Until recently Clare Valley, which is less than a two-hour drive north of Adelaide, has been overshadowed by its better-known neighbors: McLaren Vale, Adelaide Hills, and the Barossa Valley. That is changing fast, thanks to the elegant Shirazes and outstanding dry Rieslings and to new accommodation and experiences like this six-day, 62-mile trail, which was finalized in 2024 to help combine the best of Australia’s wilderness with its exceptional food and wine. Grigg has been guiding in this area for 25 years and knows, for example, that in warmer weather all the hiking should happen in the morning, allowing travelers to admire the eucalyptus and riverbeds in the Spring Gully Conservation Park before languid lunches of slow-roasted lamb and heritage asparagus at estates like Skillogalee, a historic vineyard with cottages for overnights and a newly imagined main house to open this year. Other new openings here include the upscale Stillhouse at Clare Valley Distillery, a luxury cottage that sleeps eight, as well as Taylors Wines, the celebrated producer that is now the only local vineyard to be part of the premium Ultimate Winery Experiences, which allow travelers to go beyond standard tastings to truly get to know the wine, its makers, and its production. At Taylors, that means a behind-the-scenes winery tour and guided river walk.
