seppelt winery underground tour

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Seppelt Wines Underground Cellar Tour (Includes sparkling Tasting)

• Duration: 50 Minutes (approx.)
• Location : Great Western, VIC
• Product code: PWSG2A

Come and explore Seppelt Wines heritage-listed underground cellars, known as “The Drives” with one of their tour guides. 

The Seppelt guides will provide a fascinating glimpse into Australia’s pioneering wine history and take you underground to the labyrinth of hand-dug cellars. 

Cellar excavation first begun in 1868 by out-of-work gold miners and took over 60 years to dig the 3 kilometres of cellars that can hold over 3 million bottles of wine.  The underground cellars are the largest underground cellar in the Southern Hemisphere. It took over 60 years to dig the cellars to what you see today. It truly is a unique experience and a ‘must-do’ when visiting the Grampians Region.  

Once you emerge from the underground cellars, your guide will then take you on a journey through our sparkling wines, including the Seppelt Sparkling Shiraz, which was first made in the Seppelt Great Western Cellars in the early 1890s.

Guided tours cost $25 for an Adult, $20 for a concession, $10 for school-aged children, under 5 no charge.  Tours depart from the Seppelt Wines Cellar Door 7 days a week at 11 am, 1 pm and the last tour leaving at 3 pm. 

A visit to the Grampians is not complete without a trip to the region’s original winemaking pioneers at Seppelt Great Western.

Open seven days a week, experience the beauty of country Victoria at our historic cellar door for a tasting or to purchase wine, coffee, a light lunch or cheese platter, and step back in time underground with a tour of our heritage-listed cellars, “The Drives” – first excavated in 1865 and the longest in the southern hemisphere.

With a tradition of winemaking excellence dating back to 1851, sample some of the best of Victorian wine at our cellar door - from the cool Grampians country, the wild Henty hinterland and the famous Cambrian soils of Heathcote; Seppelt's esteemed portfolio showcases the unique personalities of some of Victoria’s finest vineyards.

Seppelt Wines in Great Western are home to some of the country’s most iconic wines including our flagship St Peters Grampians Shiraz, Drumborg Vineyard Riesling, and our multiregional Chalambar Shiraz; furthermore, we are arguably Australia’s most renowned producer of Sparkling Shiraz – a uniquely Australian wine style for which the Seppelt Show Sparkling Shiraz sets an enviable benchmark.

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Seppelt Underground Cellars

Beneath the surface of Seppelt Wines in Great Western is over 3km of hand dug cellars that are between 6 - 8 metres in depth. Underground, behind this locked gate is the McKenzie Museum, that was named after one of Seppelt Wines past winemakers, Ian McKenzie. Some of the wines that are stored in here were purchases personally by Ian to return to Great Western, just so Seppelt had those vintages for the future. You can join in a tour that will take you underground at Seppelt Wines. Tours depart from the cellar door 7 days a week at 11am, 12 noon, 1pm, 2pm and 3pm. Tour costs $15 for an adult, $10 concession and children tour free. #destinationgreatwestern #seppeltwines #visitgrampians #grampiansmyway #wineandfoodvilliageofthegrampians Collage

Taste the best at the Wimmera Machinery Field Days

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Seppelt Great Western Underground Cellar Tour

Things to do great western , northern grampians , victoria.

From the moment you pass through the iron gate into the magnificent, Nation Trust classified ‘Drives’ you’ll feel yourself take a journey back in time. The expansive, rustic tunnels stretch further than the eye can see, enticing you to wander further and explore their rich history.

Thousands of tourists per year, from all over the world visit the Seppelt Winery to explore the Drives and marvel at the incredible history during the historical guided tours to witness for themselves the spectacular three kilometres network of underground cellars.

From $10 to $25

Seppelt is famous for their heritage listed labyrinth of underground cellars, known as ‘The Drives’, which wind for three kilometers beneath the historic Great Western home.

With excavation beginning in 1868 by out-of-work miners from the early gold rush era, and continuing for over 60 years, The Drives are the largest underground cellars in the Southern Hemisphere.

Guided tours provide a fascinating glimpse into Victorian wine pioneering history.

Disabled Access

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Seppelt Great Western - All You MUST Know Before You Go (2024)

• Sun - Sat 10:00 am - 5:00 pm
• (0.69 km) Great Western Motel
• (0.67 km) Great Western Motel
• (14.51 km) Acacia Caravan Park
• (15.69 km) Southern Cross Motor Inn
• (13.65 km) Coorrabin Motor Inn
• (0.41 km) Fer&co Garden Cafe
• (0.68 km) Salingers
• (0.67 km) Great Western Hotel
• (0.11 km) Seppelt Drives Cafe
• (0.91 km) Great Western Shop
• (0.46 km) Great Western Memorial Park
• (2.83 km) Best's Wines Great Western
• (1.38 km) Grampians Estate
• (14.93 km) J Ward Museum Complex
• (12.14 km) One Tree Hill Lookout

• New Zealand
• Great Western

Seppelt Wines Underground Cellar Tour

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In 1868, Grampians vigneron Hans Irvine hired a group of gold miners to dig a cellar for his now legendary wine: the first sparkling shiraz in Australia. Over the course of 60 years, those miners would excavate the largest underground wine cellar in the Southern Hemisphere, spanning three kilometres and three million bottles-worth of real estate.

Don your proverbial hardhat and explore these heritage-listed caverns on a guided underground tour. You’ll find out why they’re known as “The Drives”, as well as what makes the Grampians home to some of the most unique winemaking terroir in the world. Tours leave from The Shafthouse cellar door on the hour, from 11am to 3pm daily.

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Dine Deep In 'The Drives'

Experience one of Australia's most unique and atmospheric gourmet dining experiences in Seppelt's historic cellars, ‘The Drives’. 

Your experience begins with a sparkling wine on arrival, followed by a tour of ‘The Drives’, concluding with a gourmet, three-course meal inside our historic cellar.

Choose from our packages below. Each tour requires a minimum 12 people to proceed.

Dine Deep One

Enjoy a glass of sparkling wine on arrival before embarking on the historical guided tour. At the completion of the tour you will be seated in your underground dining space and served a three course meal paired with Seppelt Foundation Range Wines.

Bookings essential. Please call for all inquiries

• Cost: $165 per person
• Group: Minimum 12 people
• Time: Between 6pm - 10pm

Dine Deep Two

Begin with a sparkling tasting and a shared grazing board on arrival at the Seppelt Cellar Door, before embarking on a historical guided tour. At the completion of the tour you will be seated in your underground dining space and served a three course meal paired with Seppelt Foundation Range Wines.

• Cost: $175 per person
• Time: Between 5:30pm - 10pm

Dine Deep Three

Commence with a glass of sparkling wine on arrival before embarking on the historical guided tour. Throughout the tour, you will discover three tasting stations where you will enjoy a selection of Seppelt Wines paired with canapes served at each station. At the completion of your tour, you will be seated in your underground dining space and served a three course meal paired with Seppelt Icon Wines including the highly coveted Show Sparkling Shiraz.

• Cost: $265 per person

Dine Deep in the Drives

Our location & opening hours.

Seppelt Winery

36 Cemetery Road , Great Western

Victoria 3377 , Australia

Phone: PH: 03 5361 2239

Email: [email protected]

Monday through Sunday 11:00 AM — 3:00 PM

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Discover the Seppelt Legacy

Step back in time to 1851 when Joseph Seppelt laid the foundations of Seppeltsfield in the picturesque Barossa Valley. Simultaneously, on the other side of the continent, French adventurer Jean Pierre Trouette, captivated by the gold rush, partnered with Anne Marie Blampied and brother Emile to establish the historic St Peters vineyard in Great Western by 1863. The vineyard flourished, boasting 50,000 vines by 1867.

1851 – 1865

Seppelt’s roots go deep into the Barossa Valley, founded by Joseph Seppelt in 1851. Across the continent, Jean Pierre Trouette ventured to Victoria during the gold rush, joining forces with Anne Marie Blampied and Emile to plant the first vines in the Grampians region at the iconic St Peters vineyard in 1863. In 1865, Joseph Best founded the Great Western winery, using fruit and cutting from the St Peters vineyard.  Joseph Best also commissioned local miners to create the renowned underground cellars known as ‘The Drives.’

1865 – 1890s

After Joseph Best’s passing in 1888, Ballarat businessman Hans Irvine acquired Great Western. Under Irvine’s leadership, Frenchman Charles Pierlot was hired in 1890 to craft Australia’s first methode champenoise sparkling wines, including the unique Sparking Shiraz.

1900 – 1930

By 1900, Seppelt (still based in South Australia) had grown into Australia’s largest wine company, expanding globally. Hans Irvine from his Great Western base  established a distribution warehouse in London in 1905. Benno Seppelt (Joseph’s eldest son) purchased Irvine Wines in 1918, further establishing Great Western on the map with sparkling and table wines, especially Shiraz. In 1910, the legendary Dame Nellie Melba Drive opened in the underground cellars, where it’s said she bathed in Seppelt’s finest sparkling wine!

1932 – 1964

Colin Preece, a renowned winemaker, assumed the role of Seppelt’s chief winemaker. The iconic Chalambar Shiraz debuted in 1953, and Seppelt’s sparkling wines dominated Australian shows from the 1940s to the 1960s. Les Francis, appointed chief winemaker in 1963, pioneered the Drumborg and Padthaway regions.

1963 – 1992

Winemakers Pete Weste (1968) and Mike Press (1976) continued the legacy, with Press introducing Seppelt’s first Fleur de Lys sparkling wine in 1982. Ian McKenzie, winemaker from 1983, oversaw the release of Salinger in 1986 and, in 1991, the Sparkling Wine of the Year award at the London International Wine Challenge.

1998 – 2017

Great Western Vineyard Shiraz rebranded as St Peter’s Shiraz in 1998. Seppelt celebrated its 150th birthday in 2001. In 2011, Adam Carnaby became winemaker, contributing to the sought-after styles and introducing new celebrated wines.

Great Western Enterprises, a local family become custodians of the historic Great Western Estate. Led by Chair, Danial Ahchow, and his Father, CEO Bruce, their team proudly operates the Great Western Cellar Door, underground tours, wedding and events. They are passionate of the wines produced from the vineyards and the amazing Grampians Wine Region. They have witnessed record numbers of visitors to the property and work tirelessly to bring people to Great Western.

2020 And Beyond

In November 2020, Clare Dry joined Seppelt as the lead winemaker, bringing her expertise and focus on crafting outstanding still and sparkling wines to the esteemed portfolio. Explore the enduring legacy of Seppelt as we continue to write our story.

Great Western Enterprises work on the magnificent Gariwerd landscape of the Wotjobaluk, Jaadwa, Jadawadjali, Wergaia and Jupagulk people, the traditional custodians. We respect their land and their cultures and we pay our respects to their Elders, past, present and all Aboriginal Elders of other communities who may be here today.

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Liquor Licence Number 32800105.

LIQUOR ACT 1982 It is an offence to sell or supply to or to obtain liquor on behalf of a person under age of 18 years. Seppelt Wines encourages a responsible attitude to the consumption of alcohol.

© Great Western Enterprises Pty Ltd 2023

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