Bees, Lavender and Honey
What is it with lavender, bees and honey? Hang around the Saffron Fields tasting room pond in mid to late summer and you might begin to notice that the whole place is literally abuzz with activity. Thousands of bees drift among the purple lavender plantings gathering nectar to take back to the local honey factory, AKA the hive.
Lavender, as it turns out, is especially attractive to pollinators. Not only are the flowers rich with nectar, but the purple blooms attract the infrared vision of the bees. One tiny scout bee makes the discovery, goes back to the hive to do its little butt-wiggly bee dance, and next thing you know thousands are descending for the harvest. It’s more viral than a Tic Tok cat dance video.
The bees will consume the nectar, add some enzymes then rush back to the hive where they will puke it up (fancy bee sites use the word regurgitate, but seriously, we know what they mean). Other bees then eat it and do the same thing all over. Over several cycles the nectar gets dehydrated, and the sugars become concentrated and transformed into honey. It’s a miracle of nature. Still, be thankful we don’t make wine this way.
But what about the honey? Aficionados swear by the sweet, herbaceous taste of honey produced by lavender fed bees. And of course, like chocolate truffles, a bit of lavender honey is a great thing to test with a nice Chardonnay or Pinot Noir. Try it with a bit of Manchego cheese on toast and see how the flavors bring out new wine sensations.
Bon Appetite!
