Decoding the Mead Range of Maxwell Wines
The Maxwell winery has been family-run for three generations, making the Maxwell family a pioneer in the mead industry. Located out of McLaren Vale wine region, the South Australian company is currently owned and operated by Mark Maxwell. In the last 20 years, he has increased the vineyard holding to just under 100 acres, all now producing low cropping grapes for the estate label. The winery is best known for its production of red varieties in smaller quantities, however, it also grows Tempranillo, Grenache, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Malbec and the white variety Verdelho.
Their Story In 1970, Mark’s father Ken Maxwell and his wife Margaret started the family’s first commercial winery named Daringa Cellars, at the McLaren Vale property. The winery had a tiny production consisting mostly of red wines from the likes of Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon. In 1979 Ken sold the winery and started a new 80-tonne winery called Maxwell Wines. When Ken started Daringa, he was of the belief that winemaking would be more cost-effective than growing grapes. The belief may have come from their Scottish background, starting with Ken’s father, William James Maxwell who travelled from Dumfries to carry out work as a sculptor in the 1880’s. Later in the early
1980s, against advice from his father, Mark bought a vineyard on Olivers Road and began to revitalise the Shiraz and Cabernet growing there.
An Introduction to Honey Wine Mead is a unique and rare beverage made by fermenting honey. In ancient Greece, it was known as ‘Ambrosia’ Nectar of the Gods. Making wine from honey instead of grapes was first introduced to Australia by Mark Maxwell’s father, Ken (1915 – 2004) whose devotion to the ancient craft created the benchmark for modern mead-making around the world. Today, Maxwell Mead is Australia’s favourite honey wine and the most successful range in the Southern Hemisphere. The first commercial label was released in 1961 and with it, the Australian mead industry was born. Mark remains true to the recipe and techniques pioneered by his father. Though the package may have evolved over the years, the quality and purity of the mead have not. The range has been awarded the ‘best pure varietal mead’ gold medal at the International Mead Festival Competition in the USA. If you’re looking to browse the entire range of Maxwell Wines online, look no further. Buy wine online from Just Wines, a one-stop online shop providing the best discounts, wine deals and offers. #maxwell wines #buy Maxwell Wines