Queltaller Museum - Watervale at in the Clare Valley

The sweep of vines across a hillside in the Clare Valley. Yet another reminder of lthis region's reputation for premium quality wines and its place in the ever expanding web of Australian viticulture. For the region, it all began here at a humble stone cottage near Watervale. This was the home of Francis Treloar, a farmer who set about planting wheat, and thankfully some vines way back in 1854.

"He was not only a vigneron but also grew a lot of crop and supplied wine as harvest wine to workers in the vineyard and in the hills, etc"

Within a few short years, Spring Vale as he called his property, was well known for its local drop. It was later purchased by one of the State's first captains of industry, Sir Walter Watson Hughes, a man of fabulous wealth who owned copper mines in Moonta, Wallaroo and Kadina and whose $20,000 bequest financed the construction of the Mitchell Building on North Terrace.

Hughes kept Francis Treloar on as Springvale's manager and over time, the reputation of the wines made from his wooden press, grew along with the winery's wonderful stone cellars. But its place in the history of Australian wine was assured when its chief winemaker, a German Carl Sobels, and his brother-in-law Hermann Buring, purchased the property in 1889. These two winemakers changed the name to Quelltaler, which means Springvale in German, and produced many wines which are still fondly remembered today.

"Very important, a lot of people remember the Quelltaler Hock, wines like the San Carlo range of wines, which was a very popular range".

"You mentioned a particular port"

"The Old Wyatt Earp Vintage Port, that was first produced in the 1930's, and that was a very popular Port named after a sailing vessel, not the gunfighter".

For a trip back in time to the early days of winemaking in the Clare Valley, head to the Quelltaler Estate Wine Museum on Quelltaler Road at Watervale. The cellar door sells the latest Annie's Lane range of wines. And next weekend is a good time to visit as the Clare Valley presents a weekend of Reisling and Roses as part of the region's Spring Garden Festival. It takes place at Martindale Hall and various locations in the Valley.

For more information you can email info@postcards.sa.com.au