Henry Pike settled in the Adelaide Hills circa 1886, founding a brewery which made the finest beer and tonic ales in the colony. Every bottle was labelled with the English pike, a tradition which endures into the 21st century. Henry's great grandson, Edgar Walter Pike, was an established Clare Valley grower and vineyard manager who worked for a large proprietary wine company. His sons followed father's footsteps, today Andrew is one of the leading viticulturalists in Valley Clare and Neil is one of the region's most eminent winemakers.

A pure expression of Riesling and an embodiement of the uniqueness at Polish Hill River, Merle is crafted by a Riesling specialist after collation of the finest fruit from each vintage. Named for the estate's matriarch Merle Pike, she knew that she was going to have her own label and was quietly chuffed about it. An intense and pure Riesling wine with refined citrus characters over a slatey mineral palate, successive vintages of Merle have been selected for service in Qantas First Class.

One of the new world's most distinguished Riesling, a sophisticated effort, floral and delicate and poised, Petaluma displays refreshing lemon and lime characters coupled with a wonderful balance which has been the hallmark of this elite vineyard since the inaugural 1979 vintage. At 1670 feet above sea level, Hanlin Hill is magnificent for its higher elevation and superior exposure to the cooling afternoon sea breezes. Another great edition in a long succession of superb Clare Valley Rieslings from the distinguished Vineyard at Hanlin Hill.

From an almost perfect Riesling vineyard, careful pruning, sorting and selection, ensures that only the healthiest grapes are included. One of Australia's perennially feted Riesling, from fruit picked off old vines on Petaluma's Hanlin Hill Vineyard, planted in 1968 to the most easterly slope and highest aspects in all of Valley Clare. Late picked for optimal flavour development, yet paradoxically elegant and dry, the ideal choice to accompany grilled whiting, cornish hen or the traditional Coquilles St Jacques.

Bonfire Block was a dilapidated old vineyard site, destroyed by fire in the 1980s, she has been replanted to Semillon. Geoff Hardy's K1 Vineyard at Kuitpo is only a few miles away from McLaren Vale as the crow flies. The maritime surrounds of the Bonfire Block yield generously flavoured fruit, augmented by batches of finer, cool climate Semillon from the Adelaide Hills. Bonfire Block is always crafted to a styling which displays the vagaries of vintage and outstanding intensity of Semillon grapes grown to Pertaringa's superlative vineyards.

Based around the beautiful Polish Hill, Neil Paulett makes the most of his craftsman's sensibilities, coupled with over thirty years experience making wine. Neil Paulett worked at Penfolds and Rosemount Hunter Valley. Since his own inaugural vintage of 1983, there have been many accolades in Australia and internationally, including Top Riesling at the Hyatt Advertiser and Best Penguin Guide Riesling. Polish Hill Riesling is characterised by vibrant citrus qualities supported by an exquisite spine of lustrous mineral.

Andreas Weiman was one of Polish Hill River's earliest settlers, he established a block of Riesling vines atop the choicest terroirs on the the Paulett estate property. He named the site Antonina, after his daughter. Today, the limited yields are crafted into a single vineyard selection, which yield what the Paulett winemaking team consider to be their very finest Riesling. Unpretentious and elegant, restrained power and a wonderful spectrum of citrus flavours throughout.

Neil Paulett is one of Clare Valley's most distinguished growers with decades of history in the winemaking industry. He hand picks and reserves stocks of Polish Hill River Riesling from outstanding vintages to mature quietly under the estate cellars for some years, to evolve and bloom into all those wonderful, inimitably aged Riesling expressions. Bottled in the August after vintage and kept under the Paulett cellars until current release, a rewarding experience alongside king george whiting, garfish, quenelles or white meat terrines.

The soils and surrounding mesoclimes are the thumbprint of all great wines. Virtually next door to each other in the Polish Hill River, lie two outstanding blocks of Riesling, Martin Joan Smith's and the Molloy Vineyard. These sites have long been known to yield some of the most expressive fruit that Valley Clare Valley can produce. A wine which espouses the virtues of Polish Valley, displaying great character and depth of flavour, offering mouth watering expressions of intense citrus fruits. The perfume is alluring with powerful slate characters and juicy minerality.

After twenty years of the most distinguished winemaking, having amassed over sixty trophies and three hundred gold, including a Jimmy Watson and twice International Red Wine Maker of Year, David O'Leary and Nick Walker came home to Valley Clare. Two heart surgeons from Adelaide own the Doctors Vineyard at Polish Hill River. Grey loam soils over sandstone and slate, ideal for the Drs Cut style, a highly perfumed Riesling of gorgeous minerality, these old Clare Valley vines were always destined for something special.

Harvested off the illustrious Gemtree vineyard at McLaren Vale and matured in a luxurious selection of completely new French and American oak, a third of the fruit is treated to barrel ferments for complexity and textural richness.

Refreshed by the envigorating maritime breezes of Gulf St Vincent, McLaren Vale makes a magnificent Verdelho. Harvested off the environmentally sustainable managed Gemtree vineyard at McLaren Vale, early picked for excitement and a measure of titillating freshness. A sensual rendering of the food friendly Verdelho, the decadence of honeysuckle, pineapples and kaffir, generous with an expansive mouthfeel and unctuous flavours, a palate that tantalizes and excites.

The exclusive terroir on which Mocandunda vineyard is planted, was chosen by three of Clare Valley's most knowledgable viticulturalists. Dry grown to the challenging aspects of rocky ranges and slow ripening climes, there's so much, about the virtue around an exquisite, high valley site like Mocandunda, which stimulates the loquacious Fiano and encourages the grapes to bloom into an intensely articulate, character filled wine. A swirl of sweet and savoury flavours, honeyed and nuttyness, grapefruits, apricot and the supple infusions of toasty, mealy lees.

Highly esteemed by local growers as one of Clare Valley's most splendid Riesling vineyards, Mocandunda produces a highly distinctive crop, which defines the transcendent synergies between softness, minerality and the ribald aromaticness of stunningly perfumed fruit. It's all hand picked grapes, scrupulously sorted to isolate the purest and most perfect berries, an exquisite expression of Riesling from a magnificent terroir. Nothing but the purest free run pressings, followed by an extravagant six weeks on gross lees, limes and linearity underpin a dense core of fruit, its pristine finish, immaculate and dry.

A conservative, old style approach to farming, working in close concert with careful attention to the health of soil, continues to deliver a peerless quality of Riesling, equating to the finest harvests of Clare Valley Riesling. Watervale is a very special place within the valley, Riesling is the grape of choice. Mitchell remain one of Clare Valley's finest and best received Rieslings, the exquisitely balanced, drying palate brims with delightful regional/ varietal fruit characters, jasmines and lime, resolving on a toasty, lingering fruit filled finish.

Mitchell Watervale shows amazing intensity of flavour, articulate of its Clare Valley provenance, all the winemaking team need do is preserve the character of organically grown fruit as it proceeds through the vinification. Intense with tangy lime characters, citrus florals, thistle milk and talc, a refreshing Riesling of exquisite elegance, divine balance and poise. Wild ferments, lees contact and an extended term of bottle age all serve to soften the palate, its luxurious minerality resolves on a racy, crisp and gratifyingly drying finish.

Long Flat brings together the racy and fragrant Sauvignon Blanc aromaticness, with the fine and even palate of good Semillon, assembling a wine with maximum quenchability factor. Mostly Semillon, Long Flat is subtley spiced, with an extra dimension of richness to the palate, a dash of welcome steelyness and lively minerality rounds out the fruit. Perfect for that relaxed luncheon, its core of solid tropical fruit also makes it a delightful aperitif style just on it's own.

Of all the grape varietals Riesling is the one that is most expressive of regionality. Minute changes in soil, climate and aspect are directly reflected in theavours found in the final wine. The team at Leo Buring work closely with their viticulturists to identify the best vineyards, the choicest blocks and the best rows within each. Lime bouquets, florals and orange blossom, on the palate comes a rich round wine with flavours of sweet citrus and apple, lemon oils and honey, melons and musk. Appealingly dry yet vigorously fruit driven, it lingers at the close on a note of floral citrus and crisp mineral.

Leasingham have been an integral part of Clare Valley viticulture for over a hundred years, a tradition that's been evolving since 1893. Rich soils and cool, moist conditions were perfect foundations for what is today Australia's premier Riesling appellation. Despite advice to the contrary, Leasingham planted Riesling extensively in the early 1940s. This vision led to Leasingham establishing a reputation for the finest Rieslings. Today the tradition lives on, the Leasingham name is forever linked to the exuberant styling which is recognizably Clare Valley Riesling.

From fruit grown to the Kelly Family property at Valley Clare, a mesoclime that's not dissimilar to the old world origins of the Fiano varietal in Sicilia and Campania. A robust, animated wine, alive with aromas of fresh picked guava, red apples and pear, venturing into pine, lime and citrus nuts, the complexity and palate weight are seasoned by gentle herbs and honeyed cashew, a rewarding textural finish. The fruitiness and exquisite palate length of our eccentric merits accompaniement to the finest white meat recipes and cosmopolitan Al fresco fare.

A pure caricature of Watervale, a highly eloquent expression of Riesling, as influenced by the very special terroir and clime from which it is derived. Planted in 1969, the Knappstein Ackland River site is a dry grown property of classic red loam over limestone soils, perfect for yielding vintages of outstanding Riesling fruit. The delicate floral nuances and calico textures are unique to the handful of precious sites within this exclusive Watervale precinct.

After more than a century of dedicated viticulture, Knappstein have developed an almost intuitive understanding of the Clare Valley. Knappstein have returned to hand picking as part of a quality enhancement program, the delicate Riesling grape responds so much better to gentle handling and careful selection. The finished wine shows lovely lifted citrus fruits, with distinct Watervale floral notes and perfume.

From the highly specialized Stanway family property at Watervale in Valley Clare. Such is the quality of fruit from this superlative site, that it presents a profound Riesling experience when isolated for bottling into a pure, single vineyard wine. Stanway has produced the most eminent medal winning vintages ever since the first crop. Luxurious mineral, talc and bright citrus characters feature prominently. As is expected of the Watervale style, the finish is clean and refined with great length of flavour. Enjoy with guinea fowl, whiting or coquilles St Jacques.

The tiny village of Watervale, situated just south of Clare township with a population of 246, is internationally renowned for the quality of its Riesling. It has long delivered some of the nation's most distinguished and memorable wines. Jim Barry was a recent pioneer in the region, foreseeing the resurgence in demand for quality Rieslings grown to fully mature vines. Fashioned to be a splendid aperitif style immediately upon release, a number of distinctly different yeast strains which are employed to ferment the fruit, contribute a lovely but supple complexity.