Meet the Winemaker (Episode 67): Mark Maxwell, Maxwell Wines, by Debra Meiburg MW

Located in McLaren Vale in South Australia, the Maxwell Winery is surrounded by estate vineyards growing the varieties of Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Grenache, Chardonnay, Verdelho, Viognier and Tempranillo. Family owned since 1979, Maxwell Winery is renowned for its hand made boutique wines. Situated in the North of the region, the vines benefit from sea breezes, cooler summers and limestone soils, all of which are ideal conditions for the production of small quantities of intensely-flavoured grapes.
According to Mark Maxwell, who was born into the family winemaking business, every batch of grapes is treated individually and with great care. Small open fermenters, which hold only two tonnes of fruit each, allow Maxwell wines to focus on premium small-batch vinification techniques. Having also produced the famous Maxwell Mead honey wine for almost 50 years, the winery is now recognized as the most significant producer of this drink in the southern hemisphere and a benchmark of meads in the world.