Seppelts
In 1849 Mr J.E. Seppelt arrived in Australia to grow tobacco, cigars and snuff. In 1851 he took up land at Seppeltsfield and commenced operations. The tobacco grown would not mature well enough for smoking purposes and the venture had to be abandoned. However, some vines which had been planted came to bearing and, at the harvesting period, the first grapes were processed in Mrs. Seppelt’s dairy, a small underground cellar under the present Seppeltsfield office.With the first successful vintage, further vines were planted and extensions took place to the dairy, a rough shed was built over the top for bottling and packing.
In 1876 Mr J.E. Seppelt died and his son, Benno, then just 21 years of age, assumed control. A man of vision and enormous energy, he built his industry for a future which he was convinced Australia would have. By the time he retired, in 1916, he had built an industry known throughout the civilised world for its size, efficiency and the high quality of its products.
In 1916, Mr. Benno Seppelt handed the business to his sons, headed by Mr. Oscar Seppelt, a man in no way lacking his father’s characteristics.
The well known Chateau Tanunda Limited was purchased in 1916, and Great western Champagne Cellars in 1918, with Rutherglen, Barooga and Wahgunyah to follow, and further cellars were built at Dorrien and Nuriootpa
More recently Seppelts was sold to the Penfolds group and then subsequently to Southcorp.