Axel Heinz was born in Munich on 19 November 1971 and has a French-German nationality. In 1994, he moved to Bordeaux, France and worked as an apprentice winemaker with several regional wineries.
In 1995, he received a degree in higher agricultural technology from the BTSA and a diploma as Viticulturist Oenologist from the Lycée d’Enseignement Général et Technologique Agricole (LEGTA) in Bordeaux. He also began studying for a Master in Agronomy at the Ecole Nationale d’Ingénieurs des Travaux Agricoles.