Born and raised in the suburbs of Detroit, Maximilian grew up in a German family where life was lived in the kitchen, with great food and conversation never far away. A lover of the Rocky Mountains and skiing, he got his degree in history at the University of Montana. While there he fell in love with wine, working in restaurants around town. His first position out of college was as Food & Wine Director at Triple Creek Ranch, a Relais & Chateaux in the Bitterroot Valley of Montana, it is there where he passed the Intro exam in 2006.
Shortly after, he started as the Wine Director at the Fearrington House, a Relais & Chateaux in North Carolina, a position he held for ten years, it was there that he passed the Certified Exam in 2007 and Advanced Exam in 2009. While there he sat the MS exam a total of 6 times, passing all three parts but not within three years, resetting twice. In 2016 interested in getting a broader understanding of the wine trade, he started at Broadbent Selections as a regional sales manager, while in that position he passed the Master Sommelier examination in 2018. Promoted to Education Director he stayed at Broadbent until 2021 when the opportunity arose to join the BOND winery as Director.
Max lives in Chapel Hill, North Carolina with his wife, daughter, granddaughter, and three dogs.
