Heidrun Meadery
Winery · Point Reyes Station ·
Sparkling honey wine made with traditional French methods
Sparkling honey wine made with traditional French methods
"I visited Heidrun Meadery, founded by Gordon Hull, a geologist-turned-brewer who manages about 100 hives placed around the Bay Area to craft distinct honeys; they produce numerous sparkling meads using the traditional Méthode Champenoise that result in crisp, delicate sparkling varietals, and the tasting spot is a working farm (families and dogs welcome) — not a Napa-style experience, and Hull jokes that wearing high heels there is perilous." - Marisa Churchill
"Heidrun Meadery might inspire you to give up your nine-to-five and take up beekeeping—they’re making floral and citrusy sparkling mead on a farm in Point Reyes Station. Here, plenty of picnic tables overlook a picturesque canyon and a flower field adds to the pastoral setting. You can do the $25 mead tasting or a $45 meadery tour (Saturdays only), but we like to order mead by the glass at the bar in the barn and drink next to the gigantic curly willow with whatever snacks we brought along." - Lani Conway
"Well aware that a fermented beverage made from honey and wild yeast fell out of favor in the 5th century when fermented grain (a.k.a beer) took off, former brewmaster Gordon Hull set to tinkering with mead, looking for ways to make it less sweet. At his pastoral, greenhouse-adjacent tasting room fringed by 16 acres of forage favored by local bees, Hull crafts meads a la methode champenoise that are perfect for a BYO picnic at one of the tables on the grounds. Madras Carrot Blossom is downright earthy, akin to a Belgian saison, while Hawaiian Macadamia Nut Blossom is rich and full-bodied, an able partner for dishes like smoked duck" - Christina Mueller
"A boutique meadery that crafts sparkling honey wines and is sometimes added as a specialty stop on tailored food-and-farm itineraries." - Anne Olivia Bauso Anne Olivia Bauso Anne Olivia Bauso is a travel writer and hotel expert based in New York City. She has written hundreds of hotel reviews, from 5-star Ritz-Carlton properties to treehouse eco-resorts in the jungle. Travel + Leisure Editorial Guidelines
"Derived from fermented honey (they have their own hives on-site), Heidrun’s champagne-style mead is delicate in flavor. If you’re the one manning the wheel on this road trip, grab a bottle to take home or sip a glass of their lower-BAV mead; others should take advantage of a tasting and explore they range they offer."