CHAPTER 15 | 1914–1918 – World War 1
1915 SEPPELT PARA LIQUEUR VINTAGE TAWNY Barossa Valley, South Australia
This is a symbolic wine that offers hope for future generations through the comfort of Benno Seppelt’s vision and empathy for the Barossa and South Australia. The Lutheran faith promoted loyalty to the laws and sovereignty of the colony yet fear among settlers – with its origins from the United Kingdom – led to draconian laws and the de-Germanisation of place names the following year. B Seppelt & Sons in the Barossa Valley became known as Dorrien, named after a World War I general. The earliest vintage on record was 1915, with the harvest beginning in late January. A drought and a disastrous frost in September 1914 had ensured a very small crop. The late- ripening mataro, still the ‘mainstay grape variety’ in the Barossa, as The Daily Herald noted, was a standout, whilst shiraz and cabernet sauvignon suffered the most. As was then the tradition, a barrel of the best tawny port was laid down to mature in barrel for 100 years. There were only one or two wines bottled under the Seppelt label from the 1915 vintage, one of which was offered at the Barossa Vintage Festival Auction in 2003 to commemorate the ANZAC landing at Gallipoli in 1915.
The 2015 Seppeltsfield Para Liqueur Tawny was released that same year and coincided with the centenary of Gallipoli, a military defeat but a symbol of Australian resilience and national pride.
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