"At Healthberry Farm, we believe in the importance of working with nature to produce the finest products possible. Our varietal honey offerings are raw and come to you straight from the hive, without pasteurization or processing. Honey River meads are aged for two years so they can be bottled without sulfites. Our salves and candles are made with simple ingredients that are good for your body and the air you breathe. We do not add any chemicals, preservatives, colors or additives to any of our products," read the website.
They offer tours by appointment, and are only one of a couple meaderies in the state. I visited with my friend Beth to learn a little bit more about the practice and sample some of their offerings.
Mead is an ancient wine that predates written language. It is a drink made of honey and water. Melomel is a mead plus fruit.
Honey River Meads and Melomels are small-batch varietal farmhouse wines, produced in the mountains of West Virginia at Healthberry Farm. As beekeepers, we are generous with our honey, creating a deliciously sweet wine without any refined sugars. We age our wines for two or more years and bottle without added sulfites or chemicals, creating a living wine that has many health benefits. Many of our melomels are collaborations with regional farmers, vineyards and orchards, according to the website.
The following are the wines they offer; availability fluctuates based on the honeys and fruits that have been successful on the years they make the wine, which, like all farming, depends heavily on the weather and the harvest. Most varieties are around 14% alcohol – enjoy in moderation, on a full stomach, and chilled!
Mead
Meads are light-colored “white” wine, excellent chilled or served on ice. While the recipe is the same, the flavor profile will vary depending on which variety of honey is used. Many of our meads are naturally effervescent. Varieties typically available: Basswood, Black Locust, Goldenrod, Tulip Poplar (regular and bourbon barrel-aged, a collaboration with Still Hollow Distillery in Job, WV).
Melomel
Acerglyn (Maple Mead)
Wildflower honey with maple water from Canaan Valley Maple in Davis, WV.
Blueberry Melomel
Tangy Basswood honey with organic blueberries from Blueberry Ridge near Fairmont, WV. A rose-colored wine that presents the spicy basswood flavor in a subtle fruity profile.
Cyser (apple cider) (also available as bourbon barrel-aged Cyser)
Dark, rich wildflower honey with cider pressed from estate-grown apples.
Elderberry Melomel
Dark and complex Tulip Poplar honey with wild harvested elderberries.
Peach Melomel
Tangy Goldenrod honey and estate-grown peaches. A golden wine with a pronounced peach kiss and unique floral zest from the Goldenrod honey.
Perry (pear melomel) (also available as bourbon barrel-aged Perry)
Light spring wildflower honey and a blend of estate-grown pears. We sometimes have the bourbon-barrel aged Perry, a collaboration with Still Hollow Distillery in Job, WV.
Pyment (grape melomel)
Tulip Poplar honey and Chambourcin grapes from Shapar Pond Vineyard, in Ellicott City, MD. Pyment is a sweet, rich, dark red-colored wine most similar to a port, and pairs perfectly with an equally fine meal. Produced in honor of Ben’s mentor, the late Frank Androzci of Little Hungary Farm Winery in Buckhannon, WV.
While some of the meads are sweet, as one might suspect, others, such as the peach, are actually quite dry. The elderberry is one that is only offered on site, so I had to grab a bottle of it. I also thought the barrel aged meads were unique, so I took one of those home as well.
Have you been?
