Great Western: Wine Heritage, Cellars and Cycling Trail

Great Western’s wine-growing history comes to life in Seppelt’s heritage-listed cellars, historic vineyards, tastings and the Great Western Wine and Heritage Cycling Trail. When planning your stay, you can start by choosing between cellar experiences, vineyard history and the cycling trail. Each offers a different focus, combining winery visits with a long history of winemaking. The historical connections date from Best’s original vineyards of the 1860s to the origins of Seppelt Sparkling Shiraz in the early 1890s.

Seppelt: heritage-listed cellars and Sparkling Shiraz

Seppelt Wines offers a daily tour of its heritage-listed underground cellars. The tour ends with a tasting of Seppelt Sparkling Shiraz. This wine was first made in Seppelt’s Great Western cellars in the early 1890s, so the tasting connects with the local history of the wine. Seppelt’s “Drives” offer a different focus: they comprise three kilometres of tunnels that can hold up to three million wine bottles. Seppelt thus offers two distinct perspectives: the tour combines a cellar visit with a tasting, while the tunnels convey the scale of the underground complex through their length and potential capacity.

Vineyards and winery history

Best’s Great Western was established in 1866 and is one of Australia’s oldest continuously family-owned and operated wineries. Best’s original vineyards were planted in the 1860s and are among the oldest and rarest pre-phylloxera plantings in the world. Grampians Estate’s Garden Gully Vineyard in Great Western was planted in 1878; its Shiraz and Riesling vines are among the oldest in Victoria. Best’s, then, is notable for its old plantings in a global context, while Garden Gully stands out for the age of two grape varieties in Victoria. At Best’s Stables Cellar Door, you can taste wine and then take a self-guided tour of the original underground cellar.

Cycle through Great Western

The Great Western Wine and Heritage Cycling Trail runs through Great Western and connects three major wineries. Cyclists can immerse themselves in history between winery visits. A map of the trail in Memorial Park shows the entire route and includes information about the town’s history and relevant points of interest. The map helps you take in the full route alongside information about the town and its points of interest.

Tasting and event date

At the Grampians Estate cellar door, you can share a bottle of Sparkling Shiraz and a cheese platter. For a trip centred on an event, the Seppelt Great Western Cup is worth noting: in 2027, it will once again be held on the Saturday of the Australia Day long weekend.

Discover more destinations: Cottles Bridge, Kialla, Bundalong, Murrabit, Ruffy, Ovens, Amphitheatre, Toongabbie

For the broader travel overview: Victoria.