Chaucers Mead

Chaucers Mead is a sweet California honey wine fermented from three raw honeys, bottled at 11% ABV in a 750ml format. Produced by Chaucer's Cellars — a division of Bargetto Winery in the Santa Cruz Mountains — this mead has earned a first-place finish at the Commercial Mazer Cup, the most recognized mead competition in North America.

Quick Facts: ABV: 11%  |  Origin: Santa Cruz Mountains, California  |  Style: Traditional Sweet Mead  |  Producer: Chaucer's Cellars (Bargetto Winery)

Production & Heritage

Bargetto Winery, located along Soquel Creek in the Santa Cruz Mountains, has produced Chaucer's Mead for over fifty years — making it one of the longest continuously produced commercial meads in the United States. The mead is fermented from a blend of orange blossom, alfalfa, and sage honeys sourced from hives throughout Northern California. Chaucer's Cellars uses pure, raw honey with no artificial flavorings, concentrates, or colorings, a more demanding production approach that preserves the character and complexity of each honey varietal in the finished wine.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: The nose opens with a pronounced floral bouquet driven by orange blossom honey. Gentle herbal undertones from the sage honey emerge behind the initial sweetness, lending aromatic depth.

Taste: The entry is distinctly sweet, with bright orange blossom notes that transition to a softer, rounded mid-palate where alfalfa honey adds body and mild earthiness. A subtle lemony brightness lifts the sweetness and prevents it from becoming cloying.

Finish: The finish is medium in length with lingering floral and honey tones. A faint herbal dryness from the sage component provides a clean, balanced close.

How to Drink Chaucer's Mead

Chaucer's Mead is traditionally served warm — the bottle is packaged with a spice bag for mulling, a signature feature that sets it apart from most commercial meads. It also drinks well chilled or at room temperature for those who prefer a simpler serve. For cocktail use, try a Bee's Knees, where Chaucer's natural honey sweetness complements gin and fresh lemon juice without requiring added honey syrup; a Mead Mimosa, combining chilled mead with sparkling wine for a brunch-worthy twist; or a Viking's Toddy, mixing warm mead with a cinnamon stick and a lemon wheel for a comforting cold-weather drink.

Best For

• Renaissance faire enthusiasts and medieval history buffs looking for an authentic mead experience
• Holiday gatherings where mulled warm beverages set the seasonal tone
• Gifting to someone curious about mead who wants a reliable, widely available introduction
• Dinner parties as a dessert wine alternative alongside cheese or fruit courses

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Chaucer's Mead taste like? Chaucer's Mead is a sweet honey wine with prominent orange blossom florals, mild earthy notes from alfalfa honey, and a subtle lemony brightness that keeps the palate balanced.

How does Chaucer's Mead compare to B. Nektar meads? Chaucer's is a traditional sweet mead made from a three-honey blend, while B. Nektar (Ferndale, Michigan) focuses on session meads and experimental fruit-infused styles at varying sweetness levels. Chaucer's offers a more classic, straightforward honey-forward profile at a lower ABV than many of B. Nektar's offerings.

Is Chaucer's Mead good for beginners? Its approachable sweetness, moderate 11% ABV, and wide availability make Chaucer's one of the most accessible entry points into the mead category for first-time drinkers.

Where is Chaucer's Mead made? Chaucer's Mead is produced by Chaucer's Cellars, a division of Bargetto Winery, located in the Santa Cruz Mountains of California along Soquel Creek. The honey is sourced from hives across Northern California.

What foods pair well with Chaucer's Mead? Aged cheddar and Gouda cheeses balance the mead's sweetness with savory depth. Fresh pear and apple slices echo its fruity notes. Roasted turkey or glazed ham match its honeyed richness. Baklava and other nut-based pastries create a harmonious dessert pairing. Blue cheese provides a sharp contrast that highlights the floral character.

What sizes does Chaucer's Mead come in? Chaucer's Mead is most commonly available in the standard 750ml bottle format.

Is Chaucer's Mead worth the price? Chaucer's positions as an entry-level mead with over five decades of production credibility behind it, delivering consistent quality and genuine raw-honey fermentation at a price point well below most small-batch craft meaderies.

Why Chaucer's Mead?

With more than fifty years of continuous production, Chaucer's is one of the most established commercial meads in the American market — a track record few competitors can match. The use of pure, raw Northern California honey from three distinct varietals creates a layered profile that stands apart from meads made with processed or single-source honey. Its first-place finish at the Commercial Mazer Cup validates that longevity translates to quality. For anyone seeking a genuine, traditionally made honey wine without artificial shortcuts, Chaucer's remains a benchmark in its category.