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Sparkling mead is rare, and naturally sparkling mead is rarer still. This bottle blends orange blossom and clover honeys, ferments and ages the base wine in Sonoma, then sends it through a second fermentation under pressure so the bubbles are produced by the wine itself.
On paper it is the friendliest pour in the lineup: off-dry, built on orange blossom honey, and a point lower in alcohol than the still wines at 11.5% ABV. Tastings.com, the review arm of the Beverage Testing Institute, scored it 91 points with a gold medal in 2019 and described it as an off-dry, non-oaky sparkler.
At a glance
- Style
- Semi-sweet, sparkling
- Alcohol
- 11.5% ABV
- Ingredients
- Raw orange blossom honey, raw clover honey and spring water
- Calories
- about 140 per 5 oz glass
- Bottle
- 750 ml
- Price
- $59 (October 2026)
- Best for
- Toasts, brunch and anyone who prefers their bubbles a touch sweet
What it tastes like
We have condensed the producer's tasting notes below. If you like Moscato d'Asti, demi-sec Champagne or extra-dry Prosecco, this is the bottle in the range most likely to feel familiar.
Aroma
Exotic flowers, grape pip and almond butter, with orange blossom on top
Palate
Pine blossom and warm spiced nuts, a little tropical wood and tobacco leaf
Finish
Fresh and lightly sweet: apple, mint, vanilla cream and melon
How it is made
- A blend of raw orange blossom and raw clover honeys with spring water.
- Two-step fermentation: the base wine is fermented and aged first, then re-fermented under pressure for natural carbonation.
Food pairing and serving
- Brunch: waffles, fruit, smoked salmon
- Cajun and other spicy food
- Barbecue
- Wedding cake and fruit desserts
Serve well chilled, 40 to 45°F, in a tulip or flute. Open it gently; it is under real pressure. Once opened, keep it corked in the refrigerator with a sparkling stopper and finish it within a day or two. More in how to serve and store honey wine and the pairing guide.
Awards and reviews
Tastings.com (Beverage Testing Institute) rated this wine 91 points (gold medal, "Exceptional") in July 2019.
Reasons to buy, and reasons not to
For
- Independent 91-point gold medal
- Natural carbonation
- Off-dry, the easiest sweetness level for a mixed crowd
- Lower 11.5% ABV
Against
- $10 more than the still Demi Sec
- Loses its sparkle within a day or two of opening
Best for: Toasts, brunch and anyone who prefers their bubbles a touch sweet.
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 off-dry sparkling wines from our partner shops share its sweetness level or style. They are grape wines, not mead, and the notes are the retailer's.
Saracco Moscato d'Asti 2025
- Moscato d Asti
- Sweet
- Italy
Honeysuckle and apricot in a lightly sparkling, low-alcohol Moscato with a 95-point score.
Wine On Sale says: Delicately sweet, lightly sparkling Moscato with peach, apricot, honeysuckle, orange blossom and lemon zest aromas.
WE 95 (as listed by Wine On Sale)
Martini Asti
- Asti Spumante
- Sweet
- Italy
Asti is the classic sweet sparkler for toasts and dessert.
Wine On Sale says: A sweet, sparkling Piedmont wine with ripe peach, apricot and orange notes, light and effervescent.
Gruet Demi Sec Sweet Jolie
- Sparkling Demi-Sec
- Off-dry
- United States
An American demi-sec sparkling wine with honey in the tasting notes.
Wine On Sale says: A New Mexico demi-sec sparkler, off-dry with ripe fruit, honey and floral aromas and pear and apple on the palate.
Questions about Demi Sec Sparkling
Is this the same as the still Demi Sec with bubbles added?
Not quite. The sparkling version uses a blend of orange blossom and clover honey (the still wine is all clover) and is carbonated by a second fermentation, so the flavor is more floral and the alcohol a little lower.
Is it as sweet as Moscato?
It is in the same spirit, clearly off-dry, but lighter on sugar. The still Demi Sec lists about 9.4 g of carbohydrate per glass, roughly half of a typical Moscato d'Asti. The producer does not publish a figure for the sparkling version.
