Do what you love, love what you do.
Meet Darragh
I began my winemaking journey in 2007 and haven’t looked back since. I love what I do, and I couldn’t imagine doing anything else. There’s something deeply satisfying about working for myself, crafting something tangible from the land, and sharing it with others.
Hawke’s Bay isn’t just a stunning place to live — it’s one of Aotearoa’s most exceptional regions for growing grapes. I’m a hands-on grower, most days you’ll find me sleeves rolled up in the vineyard tending to the vines. I’ve learnt that good wine starts on the vineyard— get that part right, and the rest falls into place.
At Maxim Wines, winemaking is about adapting to each season and letting the wine speak for itself. It takes time, trust, and experience to know when to step back and when to guide things gently as the wine evolves in the cellar, Each wine I produce has its own character — shaped by the season, the site, and the work we put in along the way.
My goal is to be authentic and to craft the best wine possible with passion and dedication.
Darragh’s Backstory
There has been a long history, over a hundred years in the drinks industry in my family.
It all started with buying Digby’s Bar which was established by my great grandfather back in 1910. Digby's Bar & Restaurant is situated in Killylea, south of Armagh city in Northern Ireland. It first opened its doors in 1910 trading as a public house and green grocers in the old bar as it is known today. It was run by Thomas and Elizabeth Digby for 43 years until their youngest son, Mark, and wife, Kitty, took over.
In 1973, they expanded the business with the addition of a small family run restaurant. Keeping with the family tradition, Sheelagh, their daughter, along with her husband Michael, took over the responsibility and ownership in 1988, and still work there today.
My grandad Vincent moved to Scotland in 1950 to carry on the tradition there. He was quick to spot the trend to drink more dinner wine and positioned the business to cater for this demand, gaining an enviable reputation for the quality and range of his wines. When Vincent retired the business was continued by his sons Vincent Jr and Brian until they retired just before the turn of the century.
My dad opened Innisfree Crystal in 1976, to create hand crafted Crystal in Sligo, on the west coast of Ireland. One of the original, quality brands of Irish hand-cut crystal that had a boom time in the 1970s and 80s. Every piece of hand crafted Crystal was engraved by hand. It seems a love for the beautiful and handcrafted runs in the family.
On the Maxim Wines label there is Darragh’s thumbprint.
You must know your past, and Darragh’s history help carve out in the wine industry with his grandad and uncle’s wine merchants and his entrepreneurial Dad setting up the Crystal factory.
