Shut the Gate, quite possibly the Clare Valley’s most upbeat small winery, shut the gate on its old Watervale cellar door a few years ago and jumped across Main North Road (aka the Horrocks Highway hereabouts, depending on who you ask). The old set-up occupied an historic duck-your-head cottage by the highway; the new one is set back from the road and is a less dangerous place to be if you’re over 5’10”. But regardless of your altitude, Shut the Gate’s wines are sure to hit the mark – mostly small-batch, single-vineyard offerings featuring best-of-region varieties. Riesling, shiraz and grenache are classically Clare; fiano, barbera and sangiovese push the boat out into more adventurous waters.
It’s an informal, amiable cellar door experience: owners Rasa Fabian and Richard Woods are always up for a chat. Ask them to talk you through their suite of emotionally charged labels (‘For Love’, ‘For Freedom’, ‘Miss Somebody’…) then hit the on-site providore for an impromptu DIY picnic outside.
