Joseph was born in 1813 in Wüstewaltersdorf,
Prussia, now known as
Walim in
Lower Silesia, Poland, his father had fought
Napoleon's forces in Russia. After an education in music and arts, Seppelt toured Germany and Italy learning the aspects of tobacco, snuff and liqueur production in order to continue the family business. In 1849, when business declined due to political and economic unrest, he migrated to Australia from
Silesia with his wife, Johanna Charlotte (Held), and their three childrenOscar, Hugo and Ottilie. Through an agent in London, Seppelt managed to buy land in Adelaide, South Australia. After realising his tobacco was not growing, he moved to the
Barossa Valley region in 1851 and purchased which he named
Seppeltsfield. Here he grew wheat, farmed dairy cattle, and planted vines. He made his first wine in 1867 in his wife's small dairy. His wine-making business expanded and he managed to sell a lot of his wine to buyers along the
Murray River where it was transported via
paddle steamer. On 29 January 1868, he died suddenly of
delirium tremens and was buried at
Greenock, South Australia. and established B Seppelt & Sons Ltd in 1902. On Benno's retirement in 1916, his son Oscar Benno Seppelt (1873–1963) became managing director. ==References==