On the 16th December 1810, Hugh Reilly a shoemaker from Ireland, departed Dublin on the vessel "British Sovereign" arriving at the Prisoner Barracks in Hobart on the 17th March 1841. Passenger number 1507 and convict number 59008 his records are unclear as to why he had been sent to Van Diemens Land. He did however spend the next 15 years there, leaving in 1856 to arrive in the tiny township of Mintaro, in the Clare Valley.

He settled in Mintaro with his wife and children and over the next 10 years, Hugh converted the stone barn that had been his home into Reilly's Cottage which served as the local Cobbler's Shop in the centre of the bustling town, which was on the main road to Port Adelaide transporting copper from Burra and had recently boomed with the discovery of slate in the area.

Almost 140 years later, the cottage has been restored to its former glory by distant relatives of Hugh, the Ardill family, and once again it is a hive of activity, and home to Reilly's Wines.

Reilly's Cottage is now our Cellar Door and Restaurant where you can sample our award winning Rieslings, Sauvignon Blancs, Cabernet Sauvignons and Shiraz's, stay for lunch or have a break for a few nights in your choice of 4 historic B'nB Cottages.