Arbutus Honey

Bold and distinctive, this arbutus honey is a rare treat from Le Querce. Collected from the blossoms of arbutus trees in Calabria and the island of Sardinia, it is considered a jewel of the Mediterranean. The arbutus tree only blooms in October and November, a time when bees are generally inactive, making this honey especially precious.

While we may think of honey as one basic flavor, the passionate bee experts at Le Querce are on a mission to showcase the wide spectrum of honeys, each as distinct as the flower it comes from. Flavors can range from spicy and dark to floral, roasty, and even bitter—all in addition to sweet, of course! Their Nettari line contains more than a dozen monofloral honeys, each collected from a single flower type.

In 1998, Giuseppe Perino turned his passion for beekeeping into a conscientious, nature-first business. Based in the lush valley of the Anfiteatro Morenico in the northwestern Piedmont region, the family-run Le Querce now specializes in all things bee-related, from honey to pollen, royal jelly, and incredible sweets. They run the company according to practices that reflect their love and respect for nature: nomadic beekeeping, organic production methods, and honoring and protecting the biodiversity of their home. They work with like-minded farmers around Italy and France to source honeys that showcase the incredible breadth of flavors of the countryside.