Maverick Estate Winery

Okanagan Valley, British Columbia

At Maverick Estate Winery, we embrace the true meaning of maverick:
an independent thinker who follows their own path, guided by conviction rather than convention.

We are Mavericks by choice and by practice. We believe discovery happens when curiosity leads the way—when you question assumptions, respect the land, and aren’t afraid to challenge the status quo. That philosophy shapes everything we do, from how we farm our vineyards to how we craft our wines.

Experimentation is part of our process. Patience is part of our discipline. The results aren’t always predictable—but at their best, they are quietly transcendent. When that happens, we’re proud to share those wines with people who value authenticity, place, and purpose.

Our Philosophy: Thoughtfully Made

Maverick Estate Winery is rooted in the slow wine movement, producing small-lot, artisanal wines that reflect the distinct character of the Okanagan Valley. We believe great wine cannot be rushed.

Our vineyards are farmed sustainably using organic and biodynamic principles, working in harmony with the land rather than imposing upon it. In the winery, we take a minimal-intervention approach, allowing each site and vintage to speak clearly and honestly.

The Maverick Spirit

The Maverick Estate Winery emblem draws inspiration from ancient pictographs found throughout the Okanagan Valley—symbols left behind by early inhabitants who documented their stories on cave walls. These markings represent expression, independence, and a deep connection to place.

Our Maverick figure embodies the enthusiastically unconventional free thinker—someone who trusts their instincts, challenges norms, and remains true to their values. Whether thousands of years ago or today, Mavericks share a willingness to forge their own path.

That spirit defines our winery:
uncompromising in pursuit, unrestrained in enjoyment, and deeply respectful of the land that makes our wines possible.

Our Story

Maverick Estate Winery began in 2009 with the purchase of the estate acreage that would become our home. The first Maverick Estate wines, released from the 2011 vintage, quickly earned praise from critics and customers alike.

Today, Maverick Estate Winery continues to build a loyal following for wines known for their consistency, elegance, complexity, and balance. Each bottle reflects our belief that the most compelling wines are those made with intention—guided by experience, shaped by place, and driven by an independent spirit.

mav·er·ick | /ˈmav(ə)rik/

Noun: A spirit that refuses to be fenced in. It is the courage to trust one’s palate over the critics, to prioritize the soil over the status quo, and to believe that the best path is rarely the one already paved.

See also: The Trailblazer; The Rule-Breaker; The Individualist.

Andrew Windsor

Winemaker

Andrew’s path to winemaking began with curiosity—first sparked by his father and a trip to the Niagara wine region at the age of 19. Touring wineries together and learning about the region’s history planted an early seed of interest.

In 2004, he ambitiously offered to assist with an Icewine harvest at an Ontario winery. An 11:00 p.m. call to begin an overnight harvest led to an experience that was quiet, cold, and precise—and ultimately pivotal. It was during that harvest that curiosity turned into passion. From there, Andrew continued along a path toward winemaking, taking on subsequent part-time harvest work in Ontario.

Andrew holds a degree in Environmental Science from the University of Guelph and completed formal enology and viticulture training at the University of Adelaide. His career has since taken him across both Old World and New World wine regions, including Niagara, McLaren Vale, the Yarra Valley, Marlborough, the Rhône Valley, and British Columbia. Each region contributed a distinct influence, from the structured, tannin-driven wines of Australia to the low-intervention, terroir-focused philosophies shaped during his time in France.

At the core of Andrew’s approach is a guiding belief that 90% of the work behind a great bottle of wine happens in the vineyard. In the cellar, his role is one of restraint—intervening only when necessary and allowing site, season, and fruit to speak first. His style balances power and finesse, favouring wines that are textured, layered, and structured.

Andrew joined Maverick Estate Winery in April 2020 and has spent the past six years shaping the estate’s voice. He is particularly drawn to the South Okanagan’s natural strengths: lower acidity, depth of texture, and the ability to build wines with quiet power.

Patience defines Andrew’s work at Maverick, from allowing natural sedimentation to giving wines the time they need to evolve. This approach has resulted in consistently strong expressions of the estate’s core varieties, particularly Chardonnay and Syrah, two grapes Andrew feels most connected to.

Grounded in global experience and guided by restraint, Andrew crafts wines that are site-driven, confident, and quietly powerful—each following its own path, as any real maverick does.

Janik Livera

Hospitality Manager

Since joining Maverick Estate Winery in the spring of 2021, Janik has been at the heart of the guest experience – shaping how visitors connect with the wines, the people, and the spirit of Maverick. Janik oversees all aspects of the tasting room experience, leads the wine club, and lends his voice to Maverick’s brand presence. When the occasion calls for it, he also steps into his chef’s coat, bringing Maverick’s signature dining series to life through thoughtful, wine-driven cuisine.

Janik’s path to Maverick is grounded in a deep and wide-ranging hospitality background. His career spans both front-of-house and culinary roles, complemented by years spent in luxury hospitality at five-diamond hotels and within the private members’ club world. This foundation has shaped his belief that exceptional hospitality is never transactional – it’s intentional, personal, and centered entirely on the guest.

For Janik, a great guest experience is one that feels tailor-made. He believes the most meaningful visits happen when guests feel seen, heard, and genuinely cared for – where time isn’t measured by the clock, but by connection. His approach emphasizes relationship over routine, creating experiences that linger well beyond the last sip.

A passionate advocate for BC wine, Janik’s love for the region and for Maverick’s wines, continues to fuel his work. He is deeply committed to supporting the broader BC beverage industry through education, mentorship, and leadership.

In 2025, Janik was recognized with the BC Food & Beverage Rise Award for Leadership, an honour celebrating individuals who demonstrate excellence through mentorship, inclusion, and sector-wide impact. He was acknowledged not only for fostering a culture of excellence at Maverick, but also for his role as a mentor and instructor at Okanagan College, where he co-develops programs for students entering the beverage industry.

Whether welcoming first-time visitors or long-standing club members, Janik’s goal remains the same: to ensure every guest leaves Maverick feeling like they were the center of the experience, and already looking forward to their next visit.

Our Vineyards

Maverick Estate Winery’s Estate Vineyard on the Golden Mile Slopes is located on hot and sunny, east-facing slopes in the southernmost part of British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley. The area boasts an extremely dry climate, geologically young soil, and more consistent hours of summer sunlight than anywhere else in Canada. Summer temperatures that exceed 30°C (86°F) almost every day through July and August combine with cool nighttime lows around harvest to support the concentration of sugars and complex berry flavours. These prime grape-growing conditions are made possible because the area is Canada’s only desert.

Our mountain vineyard, Crux Vineyard, is 1km south of the winery on the western ridge of the Okanagan Valley. This spectacular 77-acre plot features a 16-acre vineyard that is 500 – 600m above sea level and due to its aspect, it receives 1-2 hours more sunlight per day during the growing season than our Estate Vineyard. The combination of aspect, temperature and slope makes it a perfect site to produce vibrant whites and robust reds.

We believe the better the grapes, the better the wine. Balanced wines can only come from balanced soil. For that reason, we leverage both nature and science to nurture the health of our vineyard soil. From improving microbial activity to increasing our soil’s water-holding capacity to moving away from the use of conventional chemicals, we are constantly working to support our soil’s ability to grow great vines.

The majority of Maverick Estate Winery’s vineyard acres consist of well-drained, coarse, gravelly glaciofluvial deposits, complimented by blocks with a higher concentration of fine-textured sediment and silt.