Heidrun Meadery, Sparkling Mead and Linda's Salted Honey Butter Popcorn

My Traveling Tales by Linda

"The years have passed like swift draughts of sweet mead in lofty halls beyond the West." 

                                                                 ~ From The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien

Carly Verhey, Director of Sales and Hospitality, at Heidrun Meadery.

A beautiful tree-lined lane leads to the meadery.

The Heidrun Meadery tasting room is rustic and open air. 

I rejoiced at seeing the meadery keeps its own bees!

   Just a few days after Christmas this past year, I was scrolling through the feed on my facebook page early on Saturday morning, when I noticed a post from Taste Marin. Turns out that there is a meadery in Marin County. Who knew? I certainly did not, and I was instantly intrigued. Mead, in case you are hearing about it for the first time, is an ancient alcoholic beverage. Wine is made from grapes, and mead is made from honey. It is thought to be the ancestor of all fermented drinks with a history dating back to at least 2000 BC.
   Excited with my new discovery, I then called Heidrun Meadery to see if I could arrange for a tasting that very afternoon. There was indeed space available, and so just a few hours later on a sunny winter's day, Mark and I found ourselves traveling out on the back roads of Marin not too far from Point Reyes Station. We turned down a long tree-lined lane and followed the painted arrow to the meadery.

   We were greeted by a most lovely and engaging young woman named Carly, who is the Director of Sales and Hospitality. For the next hour she educated us about mead and the operations at Heidrun. Not only did we taste several kinds of mead and honey, but we were treated to a full tour of the facility and grounds. I was very excited to see the bee hives that we spotted as we drove into the property.
   One of the things that I love about tasting at small facilities (usually wineries), is that you often find people who are incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about their products. This was the case with Carly. Her enthusiasm for the mead, her knowledge of its history and how it is made at Heirdrun, was truly inspiring.

  
   The last time that I had mead was on a trip to Ireland in 1997. Our group attended a reenactment of a medieval dinner at Dunguaire Castle, and we all were poured a small cupful of mead, because this is the beverage that would have been served in the middle ages. It was sickly sweet and as I recall, I wasn't in a hurry to try it again soon. In contrast, Heidrun mead was a revelation. The nose of the mead is perfumed with honey and has floral notes, and this mead is also full of delicious bubbles, but it is dry with wild honey flavors that linger on the finish. It is made by using the French Méthode Champenoise, so the sugars are digested in the base wine, and then a second fermentation in the bottle creates the magnificent Champagne bubbles. This multi-step process, which takes four months from start to finish, produces a beautiful beverage that is brut dry and clean on the palate, while retaining flavorful honey notes on the finish. It is rich in aromatics and lightly-scented of orange blossoms, wild flowers or even carrot and avocado flowers, depending on the variety of honey that was used to make it.

    Gordon Hull is the proprietor at Heidrun. The meadery gets its name from Norse Mythology. Odin, according to legend, refused all food for fear of being poisoned by his enemies, and instead existed on mead produced by his magical goat named Heidrun. The business was launched over decade ago by Gordon in Arcata, but Hull desired to be closer to the Bay Area, and five years ago he purchased sixteen acres near Point Reyes and then relocated his family.
   This week when I was writing about our visit in December, Mark brought home the Winter 2013 issue of Flourish (a magazine devoted to sustainable living in California's North Bay), which just happens to have Gordon on its cover, and features a great article about Heidrun. I am attaching a link to the piece which is full of information and beautiful photos. To read the article click here.

Buckets of honey await transformation into mead.

   It takes a lot of honey to make even one bottle of mead (about a half pound). Which brings us to the very timely topic of bees and the frightening decline in bee populations worldwide. In case you have been living in a cave, and haven't heard about the plight of bees, they are dying off in massive numbers. Simply stated, they are in grave danger. It is referred to as colony collapse disorder in the scientific community. The consequences of colony collapse disorder are affecting us now, and Heidrun has had its own struggles with keeping its bee colonies alive and healthy. California, for example, did not have enough bees to pollinate its entire almond crop last year, resulting in an almond shortage. I have a two word solution to help the bees: Buy Organic! Pesticides and GMO proliferation are thought to be major contributors to the crisis.

Custom made fermenters. They are a smaller version of the kinds that are 
used in France for making Champagne.

Carly demonstrates for us how the honey is heated to a workable temp.

The honey is heated by the rod in the barrel. Our group tries a taste.

These boards are called "riddling racks" and they are part of the time-honored way 
that Champagne or sparkling beverages have been produced.

   After our tour of the warehouse, we walked outside and talked some more about bees. As previously stated, Heidrun has its own hives and beekeeper, Brad Albert. Some of the hives are kept in Bolinas and San Anselmo, as well as at the meadery, but Heidrun does not yet produce enough honey to make much mead from it. Carly did admit that keeping the bee colonies alive has been difficult. The aforementioned article in Flourish quotes Gordon saying that the heavy rains in the first years nearly wiped out the young colonies, and one morning this past October the bees had simply disappeared. Therefore the bulk of the honey used at Heidrun is sourced from other beekeepers in California, and to my surprise, quite a bit of the honey comes from Hawaii.

It was heartening to see busy bees working in the winter sunshine.

Carly fields questions from our group about the bees and honey.

   The land that Heidrun Meadery is on, was once part of the well-known Giacomini Dairy. I visited the Giacomini sisters at their dairy in Point Reyes last fall, where they make award winning cheese. I wrote about my visit in a post which we published last November. To read about my trip to Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Company click here.

The Heidrun Meadery tasting room was once part of the Giacomini Dairy.

   Mark and I need more wine like Imelda Marcos needs more shoes, but we purchased six bottles of the delicious mead anyway. When we returned home, and I was doing some research for this post, I discovered that there is a renewed interest in mead across the country. According to an article that I found in the New York Times, there is a renaissance  in the making of mead.
   One of those purchased bottles of Heidrun sparkling mead made from California avocado blossom honey was sent to Michelle in Arizona, so that she, Jay and Maddie could taste it. I am sure they are going to love it as much as Mark and I do.
   To purchase mead or to go on your own tour at Heidrun, call the meadery. Tasting is by appointment.

Carly was a wonderful subject to photograph since she is so darn pretty. She was a 
really good sport about me clicking a camera in her face for an hour.

Linda's Salted Honey Butter Popcorn

Lynmar Estate Gardens and Mark's Classic Potato Gratin with Black Truffle

My Traveling Tales by Linda

The clouds of gray engulf the day

And overwhelm the town;

It's not raining rain to me,

It's raining roses down.

It's not raining rain to me,

But fields of clover bloom;

Where any buccaneering bee

Can find a bed and room.

~from April Rain by Robert Loveman 
(a poem that I memorized in elementary school)

Some "buccaneering bees" working the poppy patch at Lynmar Estate in the late spring.

The Lynmar Estate tasting facility stands in contrast against a gray and cloudy May sky. 

Michelle and my niece Maddie pose for a photo in the gardens at Lynmar Estate in late May.

A slight break in the clouds allows for some light to fall on the vineyard in
late May illuminating the vines for just a moment.

   There is a gem hidden deep in Sonoma County, and in all honesty, I am hesitant to reveal the location of this treasure for all seasons, because I fear that even more people will discover it. If that happens, it will no longer serve as my semi-private haven. Upon reflection, the prices of the luxurious and very delicious Pinots and Chardonnays that are sold here might be a possible deterrent. The wines are amazingly well-crafted, and are not inexpensive.
   Since wine tasting isn't really an activity that is conducive to having small children tagging along, one would think that folks would visit without babes in tow, but that was not the case on our last visit this past November. To my utter dismay, Mark and I watched beleaguered parents just wanting to have some fun, leave their three very active children unattended in the garden. The kids immediately began senselessly ripping into some of the kale and cabbages in the raised beds. I had a really hard time keeping my mouth shut, but I was hesitant to shatter the beautiful afternoon all, just for the sake of a purple cabbage or two. After regularly visiting this gardener's and wine lover's paradise during the year, I felt as if those little hands were plucking apart a place that I have come to feel very proprietary toward.
   The treasure of which I am speaking is Lynmar Estate, which is tucked away on beautiful acreage near the outskirts of Sebastopol in the Russian River Valley. This acreage backs up to the 30,000 acre Laguna de Santa Rosa.

A sunny afternoon in late November.

   I was first introduced to Lynmar Estate by Mark, who took me wine tasting on a bright January day a couple of years ago. We had stopped at two other locations to do some wine tasting earlier in the day, with Lynmar being the grand finale location that he had saved as a surprise for last. We were greeted by Peter in the tasting room. The tasting room is designed to open out to a beautiful courtyard with majestic views. In the winter months one can see the blazing yellow mustard blooming in the distance out near the Laguna. I was immediately smitten with the place, and then when I tasted the Pinots I swooned. As Peter poured for us, Peter and I discovered that we both had ties to the Santa Ynez Valley, and we immediately struck up a conversation. Now when we visit, we also look forward to catching up with Peter, who always greets us enthusiastically with his gorgeous baritone. Peter is a vocal coach who teaches students of all ages, and he sings in performances all over the world.

Paths wind around large and beautiful edible garden beds that are always abundant with
seasonal veggies, herbs and flowers.

Chinese poppies dance in the spring breeze.

This Santa Rosa plum tree is loaded with fruit almost ready for harvest in summer.

Sweet peas thrive in the cool spring weather.

The raised beds in front of the tasting room abound with seasonal veggies and flowers.

Mark sips the truly delicious Lynmar Pinot Noir in the garden.

   Being an avid gardner, though, it was the extensive, diverse and manicured gardens that sent me into a sensory ecstasy. Where else can one wander with a world-class glass of Pinot Noir in hand, and see countless varieties of herbs, flowers, grasses, shrubs and trees? All of this flora attracts fauna. Lynmar has created an amazing pollinator habitat that I consider to be an important treasure for all of Sonoma County. Protecting our pollinators, particularly bees, is so important and timely. Bees are in grave peril in the world, and are vital to our future survival.

In winter, when the trees are bare, the vista opens up to the 
Laguna de Santa Rosa, where the mustard is beginning to bloom.

This visiting couple is enjoying some winter sunshine.

   There are vegetable, flower and herb beds in front of the tasting room that are always growing something seasonal. Right now, in the late fall and winter months, the beds are abundant with chard, kale, cabbages, calendula, onions and garlic. In the summer, borage, yarrow and heirloom tomatoes abound, with violas, mints and salvias of all kinds. The variety and beauty of plants to be found any time of year at Lynmar never fails to amaze me. Kate Frey is the designer of the gardens at Lynmar. From her website:

"The goal of the gardens were to integrate edibles that expressed the flavors generated from the soils and climate of the estate, as well as highlight the owners, Lyn and Anisya Fritzs, concern with the environment. They wanted a landscape that expressed their enthusiasm and love for the site and the artistry of the wines. The main focus of the gardens are the edible gardens around the tasting room. There are also extensive habitat gardens edging the vineyards- to attract beneficial insects to attack insect pests, but also support the many native organisms that live in or move through the estate which is next to the Laguna De Santa Rosa. Interspersed around the landscape are vegetable production gardens to supply food for the kitchen. All plantings are organically managed. Eytan Nevah is the garden supervisor who sees to the day to day management of the gardens."

This is the view toward the Laguna de Santa Rosa in May.

   So I will end this piece, and allow my photos do the talking. Each visit to Lynmar Estate feels like a mini-vacation to me. My soul feels renewed by the beauty of this place that I have come to love. After I have sipped amazing wine, wandered throughout the garden to my heart's satisfaction, and taken a least a hundred photos, my burdens feel less heavy somehow. I have the awareness that I have been touched by a piece of wise and precious Earth magic that is expressed in a riot of color, forms and fragrance. I encourage you to pay a visit to Lynmar Estate when in the area, and when you do—please be nice to the kale and cabbages.

Delicate yet majestic purple statice.

A blackbird about to launch into flight among the grape vines.

There is a chicken coop with a collection of exotic specimens and one very noisy rooster.

Just after the berries have set on the grape vines.

The fruit is reaching maturity in mid-summer.

Mark and I love this old truck that often has the bed loaded with straw for the garden.

This photo never fails to make me laugh… Maddie photo bombs me!

Mark's Classic Potato Gratin with Black Truffle
(Black Truffle is Optional)