One of my recent articles for The Bulletin takes a look at mead, with a new Central Oregon meadery, Lazy Z Ranch Wines. Lazy Z is producing its own honey from which is produced its Estate Traditional Mead, and it also concurrently released Lavender Blossom Mead, made with local honey from Broadus Bees.

“Ranch Wines” doesn’t refer to wine made from grapes or fruit, but rather honey wine, also known as mead — a fermented beverage made from honey. With the release of its first meads this summer, the ranch becomes the region’s first mead maker to open in the past decade. (In 2013, Nectar of the Gods Meadery opened and lasted about a year.)

Owners John and Renee Herman bought the Lazy Z in 2020 with the goal of practicing and promoting sustainable agriculture, particularly through beekeeping and development of native pollinator habitat.

Their approach embodies regenerative agriculture, a holistic methodology that encourages biodiversity, water conservation, avoiding the use of pesticides and more.

I delve a bit into mead as a beverage and share my thoughts on the two meads. Herman has longer-term plans for Lazy Z and the meadmaking, which will be interesting to watch.