The founder of Torbreck Vintners, one of Australia's most successful wineries, has described how his tree-felling past contributes to the work he does today.

In an interview with the New Straits Times, David Powell said he spent much of his youth as a lumberjack in Scotland before founding Torbreck in Australia's Barossa Valley.

Instead of felling trees, he's now planting them: more than 160,000 new growths have been started in buffer areas around the vineyards in an effort to "create diversity in the ecology".

"Vines are not natural to Australia. [They are] imported from Europe, so we need to balance this unnatural balance by planting local trees to bring back the birds and animals," he told the publication.

In July, 24 sommeliers from some of Australia's most prestigious restaurants gathered in the Barossa Valley to gain insight into wine production methods. For its part, Torbreck hosted a dinner evening at its Cellar Door private dining room.