Founded in 1995, WineHaven has become a cornerstone of Minnesota winemaking, producing highly acclaimed wines that capture the distinctive flavors of its vineyards and region. The Peterson family represents four generations of stewardship to the land and five distinct vineyards in the Chisago Lakes Area, near the boarder of Minnesota and Wisconsin in the United States.
Stinger Mead is rooted in a family recipe my grandfather developed in the 1970s using primarily basswood honey. Inspired by the historic tales of Queen Elizabeth’s royal mead, he set out to craft a modern interpretation worthy of that legacy. Today, we continue that approach using honey, which retains the microscopic pollen granules that contribute remarkable depth and nuance to the flavor. The result is a mead that exhibits amazing floral aromatics but also showcases a stunning, crystal-clear appearance with a delicate honey-gold tint. It’s refined, expressive and wonderfully memorable.
Basswood honey was the natural choice for our Stinger Mead. When the weather conditions are right, it can be abundant in the St. Croix River Valley along the Minnesota–Wisconsin border, where our family has tended honey bees for decades. Basswood produces a honey with a distinctive spice, a soft citrus lift and an almost fruity essence—all characteristics that translate beautifully into the mead. When fermented with honey that still contains its natural pollen, the mead becomes even more aromatic and vibrant. The final product is crystal clear, lightly kissed with honey color and filled with layers of flavor that reflect this special honey. Winehaven also makes a cinnamon infused mead called Cinnamead - this premium honey wine is infused it with natural cinnamon to create a smooth, nicely-balanced wine with intense cinnamon honey flavors and a crisp, delicious finish. Warm and serve it in a coffee mug for a delicious winter treat!
Winehaven produces a wide range of grape wines and other berry wines in addition to mead.
