Skillogalee Wines

About this Cellar

They bought the property and the business in 1989 with Dave managing the vineyards, winemaking and sales. Diana is the executive chef in the restaurant, designing and preparing a varied international menu and managing a dedicated front-of-house and kitchen team. What started out in 1990 as an idea to serve food to visitors who came to taste wine, has now blossomed into a restaurant with it's own identity and a national reputation. The emphasis is on interesting dishes from around the world using the best ingredients, local if possible. The restaurant is the first and only full-time, professional winery restaurant in the Clare Valley and is open 7 days a week, 363 days a year. The restaurant has won numerous awards and in addition, Skillogalee was chosen to host lunch for the former Governor of South Australia, Dame Roma Mitchell, and the new Governor-General, Sir William Dean, on his first official tour of engagements outside Canberra in April 1996.

The Winery also has a list of high achievements with numerous awards from the industry, both here and internationally, most recently Skillogalee was named an Australian "Top 10 Reisling" Producer by the acclaimed Wine Magazine. Skillogalee operates a wine tasting, sales area and restaurant from the148 year old stone cottage built by a Cornish miner named John Trestrail. The wine grapes were first planted on the property in the 1960's and now cover 19.3ha. Varieties grown include shiraz, riesling, cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, malbec traminer and gewurztraminer.

The winery's name is taken from the Skillogalee Creek. It was the 1840's explorer and pioneer, John Horrocks, who set out on an expedition to the area, only to be beset on by illness, injuries and war-like Aborigines. His party only survived by making a "skillogalee" or "skilly" - a sort of thin porridge made from grass seeds and water, and upon returning to the area named the creek nearby in memory of this event. Both the Skillogalee Winery and Restaurant are well worth a visit. They are located on Trevarrick Road, Sevenhill (look for the signs at the Sevenhill Hotel). For more information, you can contact Skillogalee Winery and Restaurant on (08) 8843 4311 or email: skilly@capri.net.au