Seppelt Wines Underground Cellar Tour

Seppelt’s Great Western cellar tour takes you below ground into The Drives, a 3-kilometre network hand-dug by out-of-work gold miners from 1868 onward. It is the largest underground wine cellar in the Southern Hemisphere, with room for more than 3 million bottles.

I like the mix of practical wine education and local history, and I like that the tour ends with sparkling wine tastings rather than leaving the cellar story unfinished. The main consideration is that this is a focused winery experience, not a full-day Grampians sightseeing tour, so you should allow extra time if you want to explore the wider region.

I also like the personal touch provided by guides such as Ricky, whose clear knowledge and enthusiasm help bring the old cellars and their winemaking stories to life. At about $20.08 per person for two hours, the tour offers solid value, though anyone under 18 cannot take part in the wine tasting.

Key points to know before you book

• The Drives cover 3 kilometres underground: You get a close look at a cellar system made by hand over more than 60 years.
• Gold miners created the cellars: The story links Seppelt’s wine production with the gold-mining era that shaped Great Western.
• Sparkling Shiraz is the star pour: Seppelt first made this distinctive Australian style in the early 1890s.
• The tour lasts about two hours: That gives you enough time for the cellar walk, stories, and tastings without taking up a whole day.
• Your group stays together: This is a private activity, so only your booking group participates.
• The price includes the tasting: The guided tour and sparkling wine tastings are included in the listed cost of $20.08 per person.

Walking into Seppelt’s underground world

The first part of the experience takes you into Seppelt Great Western’s heritage-listed underground cellars, known locally as The Drives. These are not modern storage rooms built with machinery. Gold miners excavated them by hand, beginning in 1868, and the work continued for more than 60 years.

That origin gives the tour a strong sense of place. You are not simply looking at bottles in a temperature-controlled building. You are seeing the result of a long construction effort tied to the people and industries of early Great Western.

The cellars extend for roughly 3 kilometres and can hold more than 3 million bottles of wine. That scale is difficult to understand from a number alone, but the underground setting helps make it real. The long passages and old storage spaces show how much work went into creating a wine operation beneath the surface.

I find the cellar walk valuable even for people who are not serious wine students. It explains the physical side of wine production and storage, something that is often skipped on tasting-focused visits. You get a sense of why the site mattered, how the winery grew, and why these underground spaces remain central to Seppelt’s identity.

The heritage listing also matters. It signals that The Drives are not just useful cellar space, but an important part of Great Western’s past. Your guide shares stories about previous owners and the wines they developed, so the tour connects the place with the people who shaped it.

The gold-mining connection gives the tour its character

Great Western’s underground cellars exist because of a practical local solution. Out-of-work gold miners began excavating them in 1868, giving the workers a new source of employment while creating a cellar system for Seppelt.

That connection adds more interest than a standard winery tour. You can follow the shift from gold mining to wine production and see how local skills were put to a new use. The cellars are therefore part industrial site, part wine museum, and part working storage area.

The work took over 60 years. That long timeline helps you appreciate the scale of the project. Even without extra technical detail, the basic facts are striking: hand-dug passages, kilometres of underground space, and enough capacity for millions of bottles.

Your guide is important here. A good explanation turns measurements into a story you can remember. Ricky is one guide praised for bringing the history and storage methods to life, and his approach appears to suit people who want more than a quick walk and a few tasting notes.

This is also where the tour feels most distinct from a regular cellar-door visit. Many wineries can offer a tasting. Far fewer can take you through an underground system created by gold miners over several generations.

What happens during the two-hour visit

The tour begins at Seppelt Cellar Door on Cemetery Road in Great Western. From there, you join the Seppelt guide for the cellar visit and the explanation of the site’s past.

The underground section forms the main part of the experience. You learn how The Drives were created, how they were used to store wine, and how Seppelt’s earlier owners helped shape the winery’s production. The cellar itself provides the visual evidence, while the guide supplies the connections between the passages, the bottles, and the people behind the business.

The tour then returns above ground for a tasting of Seppelt’s sparkling wines. This order makes sense. You first see the place where wine has been stored, then taste examples of the winery’s sparkling production.

The full experience lasts about two hours. That is long enough for a proper introduction without turning the visit into an exhausting day activity. I would see it as an easy addition to a Great Western stop, especially if you are already visiting wineries in the Grampians Region.

The activity ends back at the same meeting point. You do not need to arrange a separate return transfer from the tour itself, but you should plan your wider transport carefully if you are visiting several wineries and intend to drink.

Why Sparkling Shiraz is worth paying attention to

The tasting includes Seppelt’s sparkling wines, with Sparkling Shiraz as the key talking point. Seppelt first produced this style in the early 1890s, making it an important part of Australian wine history.

Sparkling Shiraz is not simply a standard sparkling wine with a darker colour. Its identity comes from the use of Shiraz, giving the wine a very different profile from the white and pale pink sparkling styles many people know. The tasting gives you a chance to place the wine in the context of Seppelt’s long connection with the style.

I like that the tasting follows the cellar tour rather than appearing as an unrelated extra. You learn about the winery’s past, hear about the wines developed by earlier owners, and then sample sparkling wines associated with that story.

The tasting is included in the ticket price for participants aged 18 and over. Anyone younger than 18 can still be part of the tour, but alcoholic tastings are excluded. That is an important point for families and mixed-age groups planning the visit.

The supplied information does not give a full tasting list, so you should not book expecting a fixed set of named wines beyond the stated sparkling selection and Sparkling Shiraz. The exact pours may depend on what Seppelt is presenting at the time.

The guide makes the history easier to follow

The quality of a historical cellar tour depends heavily on the person leading it. The facts are interesting, but they need to be explained in a clear order. Seppelt guides cover the miners, the underground construction, the previous owners, and the wines developed at the winery.

Ricky is specifically associated with an excellent experience, and his knowledge and enthusiasm were singled out in the feedback provided for this tour. If Ricky leads your group, expect a guide who can explain how wine was stored underground while also giving the site a human story.

That personal element matters because the cellars could otherwise feel like a series of old tunnels. The guide helps you understand why they were built, how long the work took, and what they tell you about the region.

The tour is private, with only your group participating. That can be a real advantage if you prefer to ask questions or move at a comfortable pace. It also means the experience may feel more personal than a large public group tour.

At the same time, a private format does not guarantee that every tour will be identical. Much depends on the guide and the questions your group asks. If you are keen to learn about a particular wine or part of Seppelt’s past, use the opportunity to ask while you are there.

Is $20.08 good value?

At $20.08 per person, the price is modest for a two-hour guided experience that includes both the cellar visit and sparkling wine tastings. The strongest value comes from the combination of access and interpretation. You are paying to see a major historic cellar system and to have someone explain what makes it important.

A standard tasting alone can feel brief. Here, the tasting is paired with a substantial underground visit and a story that reaches back to 1868. That makes the ticket more useful for visitors who want context, not just a glass of wine.

The value is especially good if you are already in Great Western. You do not need to build a separate long excursion around the tour, and the activity ends at the cellar door. If you are travelling a great distance only for this visit, you may want to pair it with other wineries or sights in the Grampians Region.

The price does not include separate alcoholic beverages beyond the stated wine tastings. The information provided does not list transport, meals, or extra purchases as part of the experience, so budget for those independently.

The tour has been booked at least five times in the past month, and its 4.9 rating from 69 reviews suggests strong demand and satisfaction. I would still judge it by your interests: the value is high for wine history and cellar architecture, less so if you only want a quick drink.

Who should book the Seppelt cellar tour?

I would recommend this experience to adults who enjoy wine, regional history, and unusual historic buildings. It also suits couples and small private groups who want a structured activity without committing to a full day.

Families can join the cellar portion, but adults should remember that wine tastings are not available to anyone under 18. If your group includes children, the tour may still work if the underground cellars and local history are the main reasons for booking.

The experience is also a good fit for visitors interested in Australian wine styles. Sparkling Shiraz is a distinctive part of Seppelt’s story, and the early-1890s production date gives the tasting a clear historical link.

You may want to skip it if you dislike enclosed underground spaces, have no interest in wine, or want a broad regional tour with transport between several locations. This is a focused visit to one winery, with the cellar and tasting at its centre.

You should also leave room in your day rather than treating the two-hour estimate as a rushed appointment. The listed duration is approximate, and allowing a little flexibility makes it easier to enjoy the guide’s stories and the tasting.

Practical details for planning your visit

The meeting point is Seppelt Cellar Door, 36 Cemetery Road, Great Western, Victoria 3374. The activity returns to this same location, making it simple to combine with your own plans in the area.

A mobile ticket is provided, which means you can keep the booking details on your phone. Confirmation is received at the time of booking.

The experience is described as suitable for most participants. The information does not provide detailed accessibility notes, so you should contact the provider directly if your group has specific mobility or access needs.

Free cancellation is available if you cancel at least 24 hours before the experience start time. Cancellations or changes made less than 24 hours before the start are not refunded or accepted, and the cut-off follows local time.

Should you book it?

Book this tour if you want more than a cellar-door tasting. The hand-dug passages, the gold-miner connection, and the long story of Sparkling Shiraz give Seppelt Great Western a clear identity.

At $20.08, the tour offers good value for two hours of guided history and included sparkling tastings. I would make it a priority during a Great Western visit, especially if you can join a small private group and have an adult group ready to taste.

Skip it only if wine and old underground cellars are not your interests, or if you are looking for a wider sightseeing tour. For everyone else, The Drives provide an unusual look at how Australian wine was made, stored, and developed over generations.

FAQ

Where does the Seppelt Wines Underground Cellar Tour start?

The tour starts at Seppelt Cellar Door, 36 Cemetery Road, Great Western, Victoria 3374, Australia.

Where does the tour finish?

The activity ends back at the meeting point at Seppelt Cellar Door.

How long does the tour last?

The tour lasts approximately two hours.

What is included in the ticket?

The ticket includes a guided tour and sparkling wine tastings.

Is Sparkling Shiraz included in the tasting?

The experience includes a journey through Seppelt’s sparkling wines, including Sparkling Shiraz, which Seppelt first produced in the early 1890s.

Can people under 18 take part in the tasting?

Participants under 18 cannot take part in the alcoholic wine tastings. The tasting portion is for participants aged 18 and over.

Is this a private tour?

Yes. Only your group participates in this private activity.

Can I cancel for a full refund?

Yes, if you cancel at least 24 hours before the experience start time. Cancellations made less than 24 hours before the start are not refunded.