Seibel was born in Aubenas in Ardèche department in Southern France in 1844.

In the 1860s the Phylloxera plague cut European wine production by more than two-thirds.

[1] As the pest originated in the New World, crossing American stock with European Vitis vinifera varieties was one of the promising attempts to contain the disaster.

Seibel and his company produced over 16,000 new hybrids, with nearly 500 varieties that were then grown commercially.

[2] However, other than in countries such as Canada and the United States, Seibel grapes have fallen from favour in recent years due partly to restrictions in European law.