When Treasury Wine Estates announced in June it would be reducing its global portfolio to focus on Penfolds, Wynns and a handful of other “power brands”, they were close-lipped about the fate of Seppelt.
But, in unequivocally fantastic news for both the historic winery and the wider industry, Seppelt has found a buyer – and it couldn’t be in better hands.
“To be honest with you, I’ve been trying to have a crack at it for years,” says new owner Aaron Drummond about the acquisiton, which includes the Seppelt brand, Great Western winery, Great Western vineyards, and the cool climate Drumborg vineyard.
It’s the second winery Aaron, who also owns Fallen Giants in the Grampians with his sister, viticulturist Rebecca Drummond, has rescued from corporate ownership – in late 2022, he and a couple of other families bought and transformed Mornington Peninsula winery Stonier.
“A bit like we did at Stonier, we’re going to revert Seppelt back to a fine wine project, and focus on what it does really well, which is sparkling, riesling, pinot noir and chardonnay out of Drumborg, and then shiraz and sparkling shiraz out of Great Western,” Aaron says.
Joining Julian Grounds on the winemaking team is Dan Buckle, former winemaking director at Chandon. “Julian has really carved out a niche for himself as a pinot and chardonnay specialist, and he'll do an incredible job with bringing the Drumborg pinot and chardonnay back to life,” Aaron says. “And with Dan, we’re going to really be able to bring that sparkling story back to Seppelt.”
While it may seem odd to be buying and investing in wineries in the current market, for Aaron and his partners, there’s never been a better time. “A lot of people are negative in their mindset; they think, well, people don't drink as much and the wine industry's dead and people are moving away. I don't believe that at all,” he says.
“I think it's cyclical. The wine industry's been through a really tough time and it will be tough for the next few years, but if you believe that it's going to come through it and you've got the ambition and the energy, then this is the time to really go for it.”
