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This is the bottle that explains why Bee d'Vine exists. Founder Ayele Solomon has said the idea came to him on a 2009 trip to Ethiopia's Kafa forest: if honey made standing trees more valuable to the people living around them, the forest would have a better chance of staying put.
Geteme honey comes from the blossoms of the Geteme tree (Schefflera abyssinica) in that same cloud forest, the region widely regarded as the birthplace of Arabica coffee. It is blended with American clover honey and fermented to a perfumed, semi-sweet wine.
At a glance
- Style
- Semi-sweet, still
- Alcohol
- 12.5% ABV
- Ingredients
- Raw Ethiopian Geteme honey, raw American clover honey and spring water
- Calories
- about 140 per 5 oz glass
- Bottle
- 750 ml
- Price
- $52 (October 2026)
- Best for
- Tej fans, coffee people and anyone who buys wine for the story of where it comes from
What it tastes like
We have condensed the producer's tasting notes below. If you like aromatic whites such as Gewürztraminer or Torrontés, this is the bottle in the range most likely to feel familiar.
Aroma
Sage and honeydew melon
Palate
Candied apple, green coffee and Anjou pear, with balanced sweetness and an earthy edge
Finish
Creamy, like creamed honey, with wintergreen herbs
How it is made
- Raw Geteme honey from the Afromontane Kafa cloud forest, blended with raw American clover honey and spring water.
- The producer states a minimum of six months in barrel and three years in bottle.
- Honey purchases are intended to give forest communities an income that depends on the trees staying up.
Food pairing and serving
- Ethiopian food: doro wat, misir wat, tibs with injera
- Spiced lamb and tagines
- Washed-rind cheese
- Baklava and nut pastries
Chill to 45 to 50°F. For the full effect pour it into a berele, the round Ethiopian tej flask. Once opened, keep it corked in the refrigerator; the producer says it holds for about a week. More in how to serve and store honey wine and the pairing guide.
Reasons to buy, and reasons not to
For
- Named Ethiopian forest honey, tied to the founder's stated conservation aim
- The most direct tie to Ethiopian tej in the range
- Herbal, green-coffee character in the producer's notes
Against
- Not a traditional tej: there is no gesho in it
- $3 more than the classic Demi Sec
Best for: Tej fans, coffee people and anyone who buys wine for the story of where it comes from.
New to this producer? Our Bee d'Vine guide covers who makes it and how the range fits together, where to buy honey wine explains ordering and shipping, and best honey wine ranks every bottle by style.
Grape wines in a similar style
Honey wine is hard to find in shops. If you want something close to this bottle from a wine retailer, these nutty dessert wines from our partner shops share its sweetness level or style. They are grape wines, not mead, and the notes are the retailer's.
Taylor Fladgate 10 Year Tawny Port
- Tawny Port
- Sweet
- Portugal
A ten-year tawny: sweet, nutty and caramel-led, a classic after-dinner pour.
Wine On Sale says: Amber tawny with dried apricot and fig, nuts and caramel on the nose, with a touch of vanilla sweetness.
Warre's Otima 10 Year Tawny Port
- Tawny Port
- Sweet
- Portugal
The merchant notes mention honey and caramel; sold in a 500 ml bottle.
Wine On Sale says: A lighter, contemporary tawny with dried fig, apricot and almond flavors and notes of honey and caramel.
Fonseca Late Bottled Vintage Unfiltered Port 2018
- Late bottled vintage Port
- Sweet
- Portugal
A ruby-style Port, the dark fruit counterpart to tawny.
Wine On Sale says: Deep ruby LBV with blackberry, plum and cassis aromas and ripe black fruit, dark chocolate and black pepper on the palate.
JS 93 (as listed by Wine On Sale)
Questions about Demi Sec Geteme
Is this tej?
It is inspired by tej but it is not the traditional recipe. Classic Ethiopian tej is fermented with gesho, a bittering shrub. Bee d'Vine leaves gesho out and makes a cleaner, wine-style drink from honey and water alone.
What is Geteme honey?
A floral honey made by bees foraging on Schefflera abyssinica trees in the highland forests of southwest Ethiopia.
