By James Atkinson
Seppeltsfield's Gravity Flow Winery is celebrating 100 vintages, with its 2013 Barossa vintage now complete.
The winery, designed and built by Oscar Benno Pedro Seppelt in 1888, operated for 96 consecutive vintages to 1984.
Following decades lying dormant and becoming a museum, the winery was resurrected in 2010 under the guidance of Seppeltsfield managing director, Warren Randall.
After a $2 million investment to breathe new life into the 1888 building, the winery has now officially completed its centenary vintage.
Seppeltsfield said that when it was finished in the late 19th century, the Gravity Flow Winery was heralded as the largest winery of its type in the world. In the absence of electricity and modern day pumps, the winery was built into the hillside on a series of terraces.
Gravity was utilised to guide the flow of crushed grapes and wine down through the terraced levels.
"Today, whilst the winery is now complemented with modern equipment, the principle of harnessing gravity is still used. Only minimal pumping is required to transfer fruit to the fermenters and marc to the presses, resulting in a winemaking style centred around gentle handling," Seppeltsfield said.
The estate's winemaker, Fiona Donald, believes this principle has attributed to the recent success of Seppeltsfield’s table reds. All three of the first releases of Seppeltsfield red wines have gone on to win wine show trophies.