Page:History of Adelaide and vicinity.djvu/551

 The Seppelt Family ADELAIDE AND VICINITY 525 acres ; but this would appear to be a mere batratelle, seeing that Mr. Seppelt annually purchases from 2,000 acres of vines and upwards for his capacious winery. Experience has taught him that while it is well to have his own vineyard as a stand-by for the manufacture of certain classes of wines, the judicious buying of grapes from surrounding growers means both economy and expedition in the manufacture. In 1890 Mr. Seppelt found his plant insufficient to cope with the growing demands of his trade, and having the inventive faculty highly developed, he set to work and designed the present winery, which is 120 feet by 90 feet. An authority, "Mela Leuca," a well known writer on the.se subjects, referring U) this establish- ment, has said : — '' It is probably unsurpassed for completeness, as judged by the general design and perfectness of the arrangements, the finish and durability of the fittings, combined with moderate outlay of capital, ease and economy of working and cleanli- ness, by any similar structure in the world There is certainly nothing equal to it in Australia." In establishing this winery Mr. vSeppelt showed himself to be a master of detail, and the authority before quoted adds that it "is the practical embodiment of the in- genious, methodical, painstaking, unassuming character of the designer." The present storage capacity at Seppeltsfield is esti- mated at 800,000 gallons ; but it is proposed to increase the cellarage accommodation to 1,000,000 gallons — truly a colossal storage. Of the subsidiary Indus- stump & Co., Photo mkbennosehpf.lt tries at Seppeltsfield, it may be mentioned that the distillery was erected in 1877 at a cost of over ^3,000. The prejudice against Australian brandy is ra|)idly dying out, and the pure grape brandy manufactured by Mr. Seppelt has slowly but surely made its way into public favor. Connected with the distillery are several large cement storage tanks for wine intended for distillation purposes, and a large cellar capable of holding 60,000 gallons, which is used as a bonded store, and kept under Government seal. Here the brandy is retained and matured in wood for many years. Another auxiliary establishment — the vinegar manufactory — is situated on a sloping bank to the west of the homestead. Mr. Seppelt produces two classes of vinegar — white and brown ;