Honey wine isn't just for Renaissance fairs or guys in Viking helmets. Honestly, it's been misunderstood for centuries. Most people think "mead" and immediately imagine a cloying, syrupy drink that’s basically liquid sugar. That’s a mistake. When you look at Bee d'Vine honey wine, you're seeing something that feels more like a crisp Chardonnay or a complex Chenin Blanc than a medieval prop. It's refined. It's bone-dry in some expressions and lush in others.
Ayele Solomon, the founder of Bee d'Vine, didn't set out to make a novelty drink. He grew up in Ethiopia, where honey wine—known as tej—is practically the national beverage. But when he visited the Kafa Rainforest in 2009, he saw a problem. People were harvesting honey from wild hives, but the process was inefficient and put the forest at risk. He realized that if he could create a global market for high-end honey wine, he could provide a financial incentive to keep those flowering trees standing.
That’s how the brand started. It’s a conservation project disguised as a winery.
What Sets Bee d'Vine Honey Wine Apart from Typical Mead?
Most mead makers use whatever honey they can find in bulk. They might toss in some fruit or spices (that's a melomel or a metheglin, if we’re being technical) to mask the flavor of mediocre fermentations. Bee d'Vine does the opposite. They treat honey like grapes.
The primary ingredient is wild honey from flowers in the California hills. Since bees forage on whatever is blooming, the honey has its own "terroir," much like a vineyard in Napa or Bordeaux. If the bees are hitting orange blossoms, you’ll taste it. If they’re on wildflowers, the complexity shifts.
Then there is the water. People forget that wine is mostly water. Most commercial meads use tap water or standard filtered water, but Solomon’s team uses spring water. This matters because the mineral content affects how the yeast behaves during fermentation. If the minerals are off, the yeast gets stressed and produces "off" flavors that smell like burnt rubber or wet dog. You won't find that here.
The Brut and the Demi-Sec
They basically offer two main styles. The Brut is the dry one. It’s surprisingly lean. If you closed your eyes, you might think you’re drinking a high-end white wine from the Loire Valley. It has this floral nose—obviously, because it’s made from flowers—but the finish is clean and acidic.
The Demi-Sec is for those who want that honeyed mouthfeel. It’s not "sweet" in a candy way. It’s more like the sweetness of a ripe peach. It’s velvety. Honestly, it’s the version that usually wins over people who say they don’t like honey wine.
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The Sustainability Factor: Why Bees Matter More Than Grapes
Grapes are a monoculture. To grow them at scale, you usually have to clear land, install irrigation, and often use pesticides. Bees are different. To get honey, you need a healthy, diverse ecosystem of flowering plants.
By drinking Bee d'Vine honey wine, you're technically supporting a system that requires more trees, not fewer. Solomon’s mission has always been tied to the Kafa Rainforest in Ethiopia, the birthplace of Arabica coffee. He saw that farmers were cutting down trees to grow corn because honey wasn't profitable enough. By creating a premium product, he could pay more for the honey, which made the trees worth more standing than chopped down.
It’s a circular economy. The more people drink this stuff, the more the bees have to work, and the more farmers protect the forests. It’s rare to find a booze brand that actually has a legitimate environmental "why" behind it that isn't just greenwashing.
Pairing Honey Wine with Food (Forget the Turkey Leg)
Stop pairing mead with "medieval" food. It’s weird.
Because Bee d'Vine is fermented to be wine-like, you should pair it like wine. The Brut is killer with spicy food. Think Thai green curry or Ethiopian doro wat. The acidity cuts through the heat, while the floral notes of the honey complement the aromatics of the ginger and lemongrass.
The Demi-Sec is a different beast. It’s incredible with salty cheeses. A funky blue cheese or a sharp aged cheddar creates this sweet-and-salty contrast that is basically addictive.
- Crab Cakes: The Brut brings out the sweetness of the seafood.
- Roasted Chicken: The Demi-Sec matches the savory skin and herbs perfectly.
- Fruit Tarts: Obviously, honey and fruit are a match made in heaven.
People often ask if you should serve it cold. Yes. Treat it like a white wine. Chill it down to about 45-50 degrees. If it’s too warm, the aromatics get a bit heavy. If it’s too cold, you lose the subtle floral layers.
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The Science of the Fermentation
Fermenting honey is actually harder than fermenting grapes. Grapes come packed with nitrogen and nutrients that yeast love. Honey is almost pure sugar and lacks those nutrients. In the old days, this led to "stuck" fermentations where the wine would stop bubbling and stay sickly sweet.
Bee d'Vine uses a proprietary process to keep the yeast happy. They don’t use harsh chemicals. Instead, they manage the temperature and the nutrient balance with surgical precision. This is why their wine is 12.5% ABV—the same as most table wines—without having that "hot" alcohol burn you find in amateur homebrews.
Debunking the Myths About Honey Wine
There's a lot of nonsense out there.
First, "It’s only for dessert." Wrong. Most of Bee d'Vine's production is focused on dry and semi-dry styles. It’s a dinner wine.
Second, "It’s basically just sugar water." Actually, honey contains antioxidants and minerals that grapes don't. While the fermentation process consumes most of the sugar, the essence of the honey remains. It’s a "cleaner" drink in many ways, especially since Bee d'Vine doesn't add sulfites in the same way many mass-market wineries do.
Third, "It’s a new trend." Honey wine is the oldest fermented beverage on Earth. It predates grape wine and beer. We’re just rediscovering it now because makers like Solomon are finally applying modern oenology (wine science) to the ancient craft.
How to Get the Most Out of Your Bottle
If you're going to buy a bottle of Bee d'Vine honey wine, don't just chug it.
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- Use a real wine glass. A tulip-shaped glass helps concentrate those floral aromas.
- Let it breathe. Even though it's not a red wine, giving it five minutes in the glass opens up the nose. You'll start to smell things like jasmine, honeysuckle, and maybe even a hint of beeswax.
- Compare the styles. If you can, try the Brut and the Demi-Sec side-by-side. It’s the best way to understand how the amount of residual honey changes the texture of the drink.
The brand has gained a lot of traction lately. They even have a tasting room in the Ferry Building in San Francisco, which is basically the holy grail of California food culture. If you’re ever in the city, go there. You can taste the difference between honey sourced from different regions.
Actionable Insights for Your Next Purchase
If you're ready to move beyond the supermarket shelf and try something legitimate, start with these steps:
Identify your palate. If you usually drink Sauvignon Blanc or Dry Riesling, go for the Bee d'Vine Brut. If you prefer Moscato or a lush Chardonnay, the Demi-Sec is your best bet.
Check the vintage. Honey wine ages surprisingly well. While it’s great fresh, a bottle that’s sat for a year or two often develops a deeper, nuttier profile.
Think about the bees. Remember that you are drinking a product of pollination. This isn't just about alcohol; it's about supporting the insects that keep our food system alive. If you're hosting a dinner, that's a much better conversation starter than just "I found this at the store."
Skip the mixers. Don't turn this into a cocktail. At least not the first time. You want to taste the honey and the spring water. Once you've had it neat, then you can experiment with adding a sprig of rosemary or a twist of lemon, but the wine stands on its own.
Invest in a few bottles for different occasions. The Brut is for your Tuesday night stir-fry. The Demi-Sec is for your Sunday afternoon cheese board. It’s versatile, sustainable, and frankly, it’s about time honey wine got the respect it deserves in the modern glass.