Arila Gardens

Their passion for wine has seen them work in the industry for a combined 40 plus years, and travel through many of the great wine regions of the world, sharing many wonderful bottles together. They have also spent many years judging at wine shows, educating their palates and gaining exposure to Australia’s finest wine producers.

To craft is to make or produce with care, skill and integrity.

Winemaking or vinification is both an art and science to which the skills required by the winemaker arguably amount to craftsmanship.

This special ability to craft the wine warrants that every single bottle produced is a reflection of the site and speaks about the vintage, the climate and the

array of flavour profiles each season brings. It’s the difference in vintage that makes winemaking an art and the ability to bring these flavours to you that makes wine so interesting. The fruit supplied and the winemakers imprint determines quality, identity and style. At Churchview we aim to make the best possible wine we can, and make that affordable to you.

In 2018 Adam was delighted when he discovered there was an opportunity to purchase the 20 acres that are now Arila Gardens and include the 1870’s ironstone cottage his family calls home. They knew it was an incredibly brave move to take this step, yet how could they not when these vines and neighbouring properties on Moppa Road were synonymous with the finest quality grapes in the Barossa.

A partnership of the Clay family was formed between Adam, his wife Marie, and his parents David and Cheryl.

It was vital for all members of the family to show their deep respect for the land and encompass the full history from

where it came. This led to the name Arila, which is an Aboriginal word for ‘sand, land and earth’. Thus, honouring the original owners of the land, as well as the mix of sand, ironstone and quartz that the roots of these ancient vines reach deep into.

Then, just like the older vignerons who so carefully tended these blocks by hand, they too refer to the vineyards as ‘gardens’. Small spaces that are nurtured and tended with care and pride.

Each garden is named after the predominant feature of its soil and consists of vines of various clones and ages, with the oldest dating back to 1900. The combination of these elements express themselves in the unique character, personality, and complexity of the finished wine.

Driven to make wines with finesse which capture the essence of variety and place. They are intent on elevating the profile of Moppa, a region that has been so influential in the history of the Barossa’s most prestigious wines yet remains a hidden secret.

To have this opportunity to make wine of the highest quality and be so connected to the land on which they are grown, is their dream come true.