Chaucer’s Cellars Mead

Curious what Chaucer’s mead actually is? It’s a traditional honey wine — made not from grapes but from pure honey — produced in California by Bargetto Winery, who have been crafting it for more than 50 years. The result is a smooth, dessert-style sip that’s an easy entry point for the mead-curious and a familiar favourite for fans of honey wine.

Every bottle starts with 100% natural honey, a blend of orange blossom, sage and cotton-alfalfa that gives the wine its layered sweetness. Expect aromas of honeysuckle and beeswax leading into a medium-bodied palate of amber honey, soft florals and a touch of warm spice, all carried by a long, gently sweet finish. At 11% ABV it’s rich without being fortified, so it pours like a treat rather than a heavy nightcap.

Serve it well-chilled. It shines alongside a cheese board, dried fruit and nuts, or after dinner with fruit-based desserts — and it’s equally at home stirred into a cocktail when you want something a little different.