Business
5 October, 2026
Seppelt revival starts with wine
GETTING Great Western’s historic winery ready for the 2027 harvest will be the first major priority for Seppelt’s incoming owners, as Aaron Drummond begins to put shape around his plans for one of Australian wine’s most storied names.
Speaking directly to the Stawell Times-News for the first time since the acquisition was announced, Mr Drummond said preparing the winery for renewed production would be an immediate focus once the deal was completed.
“Getting the winery set up for harvest 2027,” he said.
“It has been pretty much closed down from a winemaking perspective for the last 10 years, so a bit to do to make sure it is fit for purpose.”
It is an early but significant indication of the direction Mr Drummond and his partners intend to take after agreeing to buy the Seppelt brand, Great Western winery, cellar door and vineyards, along with the Drumborg vineyard near Portland, from Treasury Wine Estates.
The transaction is expected to be completed in mid-October.
For Mr Drummond, chief executive and co-owner of Mornington Peninsula winery Stonier and also involved with Halls Gap-based Fallen Giants, the opportunity begins with what can be put in the bottle.
“The starting point for us is always about wine quality,” he said.
“The Great Western vineyards have been producing exceptional wines for more than 160 years, Drumborg 60 years, so it gives you a lot of confidence that with some focus and investment, we can make incredible wine here again.
“You then add to this an incredible brand like Seppelt, that has so much love with trade and consumers and it is pretty compelling.”
The size and complexity of the winery and vineyard operation had been the one unknown for the ownership group when it began pursuing the acquisition.
But as the process progressed, Mr Drummond said the depth of experience among the people already working across Seppelt gave the group confidence in what could be achieved.
“Early on in the process we realised there is an incredible team across all the sites, many of whom have worked at Seppelt for 20, 30 or 40 years,” he said.
“Mark Kindred who manages the Great Western Winery has his 40th anniversary next week.
“Having these people onboard allows us to really unlock the potential of what we can do here, they have so much incredible history and knowledge of the place.”
While Seppelt and Stonier would remain distinct operations with separate wineries, vineyards and teams, Mr Drummond said there were natural connections between the businesses.
“They are both fine wine cool climate producers, so really we have a lot of speciality and shared knowledge across the two,” he said.
The plans extend beyond getting the Great Western winery ready for production.
Mr Drummond said the ownership group also saw an opportunity to reinvigorate some of the historic precinct surrounding it.
“We are also keen on restoring the old homestead and bringing the old buildings and cellar door to life,” he said.
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