Background
Joseph was born in 1813 in Wüstewaltersdorf, Prussia, now known as Walim in Lower Silesia, Poland.
Joseph was born in 1813 in Wüstewaltersdorf, Prussia, now known as Walim in Lower Silesia, Poland.
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. 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 158 acres 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.