Winery Overview
Chaucer's Cellars, part of Bargetto Winery, has been crafting premium, award-winning meads for over 50 years. Our mead-making tradition began in the 1970s in the heart of the Santa Cruz Mountains, when winery president Lawrence Bargetto saw an opportunity to reimagine mead using fresh, local honey sourced from family-owned beekeepers. Inspired by the natural beauty of Soquel Creek, he created a line of premium meads that were both rooted in tradition and elevated by California’s vibrant agricultural landscape.
Today, Chaucer's Cellars remains committed to producing the highest quality meads. We continue to source honey from small-scale beekeepers around the world and maintain a focus on quality, craftsmanship, and innovation. Our meads offer a timeless experience, bridging Old World tradition with a modern palate.
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Vineyard
The honey for this specialty dessert-style wine is produced in hives throughout the Sierras. It is composed of a blend of three types of honey: cotton– alfalfa, orange blossom and sage. Each type brings a unique quality to the blend and contributes to the overall complexity of the mead. Alfalfa is neutral in flavor but yields a dark, amber color. The orange blossom brings a floral bouquet to the nose of the wine. Toyon, an evergreen shrub also known as California Holly, is lighter in color than the alfalfa and helps to balance the blend. Our Mead can be served chilled or mulled with the included spice packs.
Vinification
Mead is an old English word for honey wine. It dates back 8,000 years. The Chaucer's Mead story began in 1970 when winery owner, Lawrence Bargetto, produced his first mead. Our mead, made from pure honey, still reflects the same quality standards as the original batch many decades ago. In the spirit of Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales we hope that you will be inspired by this mead as Knight Palamon would have been while sweeping Maiden Emelye away for an adventurous pilgrimage.
Tasting Notes
Chaucer’s Mead is produced utilizing fresh honey without the addition of artificial flavorings, concentrates or artificial colorings. Chaucer’s Mead can be enjoyed in a variety of ways. Chilled in the summer or heated with an included mulling spice pack to create a delicious wintery drink. Chaucer’s Mead is 100% gluten-free.
