The Drives at Seppelt

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Cellar envy. It’s a thing, alright. And as WineDown stubs yet another toe on a partially concealed box stashed beneath the bed, thoughts fly to the largest underground cellar in the southern hemisphere: A subterranean labyrinth of cool, dim tunnels... thousands of ancient, crusty bottles... hand-hewn hidey-holes with secret stashes of wine locked behind ornate, impregnable, wrought iron gates. These are the fabulous Drives that snake for more than 3 kilometres beneath the expansive operations at historic Seppelt, in Great Western, Victoria.

When WineDown got wind of that tantalising treasure trove of locked-up loot, we had to know more. So, we went straight to the man at the top – Seppelt site manager, Mark Kindred.

WD: G’day Mark, thanks for taking the time to speak to WineDown.

MK: Are you kidding? I wouldn’t miss this for quids! I absolutely LOVE WineDown. It’s the most... um...

WD: You thought this interview was for the Stawell Times News, didn’t you?

MK: Well, they did say a leading digital publication...

WD: Understandable mix-up.

MK: But how can I help?

WD: Well, we’d like to learn a bit more about the history of Seppelt, and the Drives – and we’ve been told that you are THE MAN.

MK: Well, I don’t know about that, but I’ll certainly try.

WD: How long have you been at Seppelt, Mark?

MK: Thirty-five years.

WD: Crikey! That’s a long time in one job.

MK: Not one job, but one place of employment. I started here in the maintenance department as a boilermaker...

WineDown is quietly wondering what a boilermaker actually does. Mark helpfully adds:

MK: ... a structural steel fabricator.

WD: Of course! All those vats!

MK: Exactly. So, I started off in the in the maintenance department but then I developed an interest in the production areas... bottling and what have you. It was pretty interesting and there were some opportunities there, so I was only boiler-making for about three or four years, and then I went on to become leading hand, looking after the production. And now I’m site manager.

WD: So, you must know the place inside out and upside down.

MK: Pretty much.

WD: Then you really are THE MAN! Let’s start at the beginning. The Drives were excavated by gold miners?

MK: That’s right. Back then, this place was owned by Joseph Best – he was the founder...

The year was 1865, and the Seppelts were still in South Australia, at Seppeltsfield. When Joseph Best died in 1887, Hans Irvine took over the property. It wasn’t until 1918 that Benno Seppelt took ownership, establishing Seppelt in Victoria – and putting Great Western on the map.

MK: Joseph had tried his hand at prospecting, but he didn’t get lucky, so he turned to agriculture. He put in vines, and soon he needed somewhere to store all the wine he’d made. With the goldrush in decline, the area was full of miners who needed work, and knew how to dig, so it was a logical choice.

WD: It was a huge job.

MK: Massive – although it didn’t all happen at once. The Drives were excavated over a period of about 60 years – they dug them out as they needed more space.

WD: What a great solution to your storage problems: just dig another tunnel.

MK: Yes, but it wouldn’t have been easy. It’s all granite, and remember there was no electricity, so it was all done by hand. You can still see the pick marks the miners left on the walls – It’s absolutely brilliant.

WD: And the Drives provided good storage?

MK: Perfect, actually. It’s a very consistent 15°C or 16°C all year round.

WD: What about capacity? How much wine would have been stored here?

MK: Back in the day, they’d have had around 6 million bottles down here.

WD: That’s a lot of wine.

MK: It is! And it was all taken in and out by hand – in little wooden carts. There’s a reasonable sort of incline at the entrance to the Drives, so they used to hook the carts up to a chain to drag them up the ramp.

WD: Are they still used for storage?

MK: Not commercially. But there are still some private collections stored here.

WD: Seriously? How do you get to do store your wine in the Drives??

WineDown is thinking of all the boxes in the spare bedroom.

MK: Well, it helps if you’re Chief Winemaker – or the Prime Minister of Australia.

How hard could it be? WineDown makes a mental note to run for preselection.

MK: Malcolm Fraser used to come here to buy wine, and he’d have it stored in the Drives. Every so often, he’d pop in and take a few bottles home with him...

WD: And the Chief Winemaker?

MK: That would be Ian McKenzie, who was in charge throughout the 80s. Macka was responsible for creating Salinger, and also reviving Seppelt’s Sparkling Shiraz – both of which are still incredibly successful today.

WD: So, Macka has a stash of wines stored in The Drives?

MK: It’s actually the Ian McKenzie Museum – Macka initiated it during his tenure here. It’s got hundreds of bottles, mostly priceless and irreplaceable, dating back to the 1920s and 30s – all locked behind these beautiful wrought iron gates.

WD: And who has access to that?

MK: Only Ian McKenzie – and me.

WD: You have the keys?

MK: Yep! And the keys to Brandy Nook...

WD: Sounds like a pickup joint for octogenarians.

MK: It’s where they used to keep the brandy spirit back in the day.

WD: For making fortifieds?

MK: Yes. Brandy spirit used to attract a hefty excise, so it was locked away in this area they called Brandy Nook. Today we use it for small events and cosy little dinners. It comes up a treat.

WD: Mark, it’s quite the maze down there. Have you ever stumbled on a skeleton?

MK: Ha! As far as I know, everyone who’s gone in has come out again. There is a lost Drive though – where there was an interconnecting tunnel between two others, and it caved in. It’s bricked over now, so I don't really know what’s in there... could be wine or skeletons...

WD: Or ghosts. There’s an incredible sense of history here, isn’t there?

MK: Oh, absolutely. People are amazed when they come. Even the names of the various Drives and alcoves are a tribute to the pioneers...

In addition to the Joseph Best and Hans Irvine Drives, regional trailblazers such as Charles Pierlot, Anne-Marie Blampied, and Jean Trouette are all honoured for their contributions.

WD: Mark, thank you for painting such a vivid picture for us – you’ve been incredibly helpful. Is there anything else we should know about the Drives?

MK: Oh, there are literally thousands of stories, but they’re better told on site, so come on down..

WD: We’re planning the road trip already. Thank-you again.

MK: It was nothing. Is there anything else I can do for you?

Thinks: Get ready to hand over those keys, Kindred!

Says:

WD: Can’t think of a thing!