The Seppelt family has an intriguing history with roots back to the 1850s when Joseph and Johanna Seppelt established Seppeltsfield, with the original idea to farm tobacco. Eventually this changed with the advancement of the second generation and focus then turned towards grape growing and winemaking – a smart move to say the least.

Seppeltsfield is regarded as one of ”Australia’s most successful wine dynasties and considered a true national treasure which helped shape the history of the Australian wine industry”. A part of what makes Seppeltsfield so unique is their Centennial Collection – an unbroken lineage of Tawny which includes every vintage from 1878 to current year. It’s the only winery in the world to release a 100-year old single vintage wine each year.

We had the great privilige of enjoying a private Centenary Tour which is a truly remarkable once in a lifetime experience, and the jewel in the crown of The Seppeltsfield Estate. Guided around estate by Seppeltsfield’s Brand Ambassador Nigel Thiele we truly had a wonderful and memorable time. On the Centenary Tour you visit the heritage listed Seppelt family homestead where you get to see how they lived and learn more about their history. After that you continue through the blending cellar and then get to enjoy a private and comfortable tasting of super-premium fortified wines in the luxurious VIP mezzanine lounge while soaking up the atmosphere of the cellar door.

The highlight of the Centenary Tour is undoubtedly when you step into the Centennial Cellar and get to taste your year of birth Tawny straight from the barrel as well as the legendary 100-year old Para Vintage Tawny. The Centennial Cellar comprises the world’s longest and only unbroken lineage of single vintage wines (Tawny) and dates all the way back to 1878 when Benno Seppelt started the tradition. This tradition of laying down a barrel of the finest wine has continued for every year for the past 100 years, and continues to this day.

The whole process of standing there watching someone absorb 100-year old wine from a hand crafted oak barrel with the help of a wine thief and then hand you this glass of sweet Tawny for you to exercise your wine palate was in a way surreal. It’s like the Seppelt family figured out an ingenious way to travel in time through the senses of smell and taste – and by so doing literally allow future generations the privilige to embrace a part of bygone history and Seppelt family legacy.

There are also several other experiences available at Seppeltsfield such as the daily tours and tastings or why not join in on one of the other Centennial Cellar Experiences, such as the Taste Your Birth Year or Moments in History tours.

The Cellar Door is located in the original 1900s Seppelt Bottling Hall and consists of four separate circular tasting alcoves or PODS. Here you can enjoy seated tastings and mingle with friends or family in comfort as well as choose from a range of red and white wines. The ambience and atmosphere is relaxed and we definetly recommend spending some time here.

Stopping by the Cooperage was a fun and informative experience where we met with Andrew and his team who greeted us with warmth. They were busy dismantling retired Seppeltsfield barrels to cut oak staves, re-shave, re-toast and then reassemble again – using traditional hand-tool techniques.

With a Cooperage history dating back to the 1800s – the fashioning of oak timbers into barrels for wine and spirit maturation is a proud tradition upheld at Seppeltsfield and we were honored to be given the opportunity witness a portion of this while visiting.

Even though we didnt try it ourselves it is actually possible to book the Cooper for a day Experience, where you go behind the scenes and work side by side with Andrew. 

Seppeltsfield Winery is located on 730 Seppeltsfield Road in the beautiful and world-renowned Barossa Valley wine district in South Australia, just outside of Adelaide. 

When you are approaching Seppeltsfield you will cross through the Avenue of Palms – which is a 5 km trail of palm trees that were planted by Seppeltsfield workers during the Great Depression in the 1930s. In total there are now more than 2000 palm trees lining the sides of Seppeltsfield road.