Chaucer's Mead

While it's not exactly beer news, some fans of fine beer also enjoy mead, so it's worth mentioning that tomorrow's Vintages release from the LCBO features Chaucer's Mead from California's Bargetto Winery. The winery describes it as follows:

The honey for this specialty dessert-style wine is produced in hives throughout Northern California and is composed of a blend of three types; orange, alfalfa and sage. Each of these components brings a unique quality to the blend and contributes to the overall complexity of the wine. Orange adds a pungent orange blossom flavor and has light color. Alfalfa is neutral in flavor but yields a dark, amber color. Sage, on the other hand, has a mild taste and a light color.

This wine is produced utilizing fresh honey without the addition of artificial flavorings, concentrates or artificial colorings. Even though greater production difficulties ensue because pure, raw honey is used for fermentation, the intensity of flavor generated through this technique is worth the effort. Although, this wine exhibits a richness similar to a fine liqueur, this dessert-style beverage is not fortified and contains only 10.5% alcohol. Hence, this wine should be consumed shortly after purchase to enjoy its natural and rich honey flavor. The Mead can be enjoyed in one of two ways, either chilled or heated with spices to create a delicious wintery drink.

Chaucer's Mead ($17.95/750 ml) will be available at selected Vintages outlets as of January 21st.

Posted by Bar Towel News Editor at January 20, 2006 12:02 PM