We caught up with the brilliant and insightful C. Marina Marchese a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

C. Marina , appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to start by getting your thoughts on what you are seeing as some the biggest trends emerging in your industry

The future of honey lies in the appreciation of its diverse botanical sources, regions of production and endless flavor profiles. Honey is one of the top 3 foods most adulterated in the world, imports are at an all-time high and labeling laws have become relaxed leaving the consumer no tools to navigate the marketplace. As consumers continue to travel and seek out new food experiences, honey will be right alongside wine, olive oil, cheese, chocolate and other luxury foods.

When I first became a beekeeper in 2000, I noticed that my honey looked and tasted a little different depending upon the time of the year it was harvested. As I traveled, I collected honey from various places I visited and when I met other beekeepers, naturally we exchanged honey. Coming from the arts, I became fascinated by the wide range of colors, aromas and flavors and sadly discovered I had no words to describe them. I felt there was a huge gap in honey literacy and a method to qualify them the way other artisan food industries. This all changed when I enrolled in honey courses in Bologna, Italy where I trained to become a honey sommelier. There I learned how to sharpen my senses and the method to taste and evaluate honey like an expert.

C. Marina , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

In 2000, I had just returned to Connecticut after living and working in product design and illustration in New York City. One sunny day in April, I was invited to visit a neighbor’s apiary where my first taste of fresh honey from the beehive would change the course of my life. I quit my job, built a beehive and got a colony of Italian honeybees to become a full – time beekeeper.

It was on a trip to Tuscany to study wine tasting that I stumbled upon a honey festival in Montalcino (coincidentally called La Citta del Miele) where I learned about Italian honey education courses. I returned to Italy three more times to complete the formal training and become the first US citizen to be accepted as a member of the Italian National Register of Experts in the Sensory Analysis of Honey. In 2013, with the guidance of the Italian Register she founded the American Honey Tasting Society to bring their honey educational program to the US. Today, I teach beekeepers and culinary professionals the art of tasting and evaluating honey. I am still deeply involved with beekeeping and elevating honey to a higher standard.

Marina’s best-selling book Honeybee Lessons from an Accidental Beekeeper was just optioned for TV and film. It chronicles her entrepreneurial journey into beekeeping, opening her eyes to the wonders of the natural world of honeybees.. Her second book, The Honey Connoisseur Selecting, Tasting, and Pairing Honey co-authored with Kim Flottum is the definitive guide to honey. Her third book, Honey for Dummies was co authored with her mentor Howland Blackiston, author of the best-selling book Beekeeping for Dummies. Marina is writing her 4th book, The World Atlas of Honey coming in September 2024. A graduate of The School of Visual Arts in NYC.

Marchese has appeared on numerous TV shows – Dr. Oz, The Chew, ViceTV – The Untitled Action Bronson Show, On the Road with Edible Nutmeg. Marina appeared with Emmy award winner Richard Wiese in Weekends with Yankee on PBS. James Beard award winning author Rowan Jacobsen dubbed Marina the “Red Queen” owing to her obsession with varietal honey in his book, American Terroir.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

The American Honey Tasting Society was created from passion for honey and its botanical sources and hard work. I was inspired to elevate honey to a culinary luxury. 

Once I completed the formal training in Italy and wrote my books, I suddenly was positioned as a leader and an authority in the world of honey. With that comes great responsibility to pass on my knowledge and experience to others. This comes in the form of teaching, consulting and speaking to various organizations also recruiting my peers to join me in this mission. As others are following my path, we are joining forces to build a network of honey experts and America’s first honey tasting panel. I had to carve out my new career description as there is not a formal job as a honey sommelier. Teaching came naturally to me and it taught me that when you give back, you are greatly rewarded. Becoming a pioneering entrepreneur in a largely unknown niche arena is a challenging lifestyle and I would not have had it any other way.

Have you ever had to pivot?

As an entrepreneur, one does not live a day without constantly being on your toes and pivoting. By definition we must creatively juggle, multitask and anticipate the next opportunity to stay ahead of the curve. It is a lifestyle that I’ve gotten used to and find that I get bored easily if I am not challenged or working on a crazy deadline. It’s a love – hate relationship. On the other hand, as a libra I crave balance and feel off when my scales are tipped too long in one direction. It’s a constant struggle and I find that self-care is more important than ever in a fast moving world. I would say that pivoting is ingrained in my blood to the point I may not even notice I’m pivoting!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.honeysommelier.com/
• Instagram: @honeysommelier
• Facebook: @honeysommelier
• Linkedin: @honeysommelier
• Twitter: @honeysommelier
• Youtube: american honey tasting society
• Other: Thread: @honeysommelier TikTok: @honeysommelier

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