A play-on-words on our part, “Envious” represents "N-V-S", or Non Vintage Sparkling.

This sparkling white wine is made in a “Brut” or dry style, and is often used around the Winery for celebrations of any kind.   Persistent bead and mouse, coupled with delicate citrus notes and a pleasingly dry finish, creates an enjoyable wine to drink with family and friends.

Many visitors to the Maxwell cellar door marvel at one wine in particular.   Although not available for tasting, many people still just have to buy one to satisfy their curiosity, or to forever hold pride of place on the bar at home…   Why?   Well the front label goes like this:

An unusual ‘rough-as-guts’ wine that has the distinctive bouquet of old and ill-cared for animals.   It is best drunk with the teeth clenched to prevent the ingestion of seeds and skins.   Connoisseurs will savour the slight tannin taste of burnt shag feathers and soiled medical dressings.   Possessors of a cultivated palate admire the initial assault on the taste buds which comes from the careful and loving blending of circus cage floor hosings with perished jock straps.   The maturing in Midland Abbatoir hogsheads gives it a very definite nose.   In the United States this wine is marketed as Saviour Brand (9 out of 10 people who drink it for the first time exclaim, “Je-e-esus Chri-i-ist”).   It won a ‘bronze’ at the King’s Cross Homosexual Convention of 1973.   Caution – Avoid contact with the eyes and open cuts.   Keep away from ‘naked flames’ (both old and new).

Note: enough people keep on drinking this wine, which surprises us and suggests it is not that bad…