by Ronda Payne/Special to the 91原创 Advance
91原创鈥檚 Bill and Teresa Townsley bought a five-acre farm across the street from on 16th Avenue about seven years ago.
They loved wine, so being on Township 7鈥檚 doorstep was a welcome addition to the lifestyle they were developing as hobby farmers.
In order to promote pollination on the farm, Bill got into bees 鈥� starting with a couple of hives.
鈥淏ill was learning about bees and it鈥檚 like crack,鈥� Teresa said. 鈥淥nce you have a few [hives] you need more.鈥�
While growing their apiary, the couple considered their options. The busy street traffic wasn鈥檛 ideal for farming, but they鈥檇 seen how it aided their winery neighbour.
Bill鈥檚 father had taught wine-making, beer-making, and cheese-making at UBC, so the interest in all things fermented was natural.
It was a simple equation, the couple said: bees plus fermentation equalled mead, also known as honey wine.
And through the years, Teresa was on site at Township 7 selling jams she produced from their farm. Turns out being under foot at the neighbouring winery was an invaluable learning experience. It proved helpful when Townsleys decided to start , which opened in May.
鈥淭hey were nothing but supportive,鈥� Teresa said of the Township 7 team.
Festina lente means to make haste slowly. It鈥檚 a philosophy Bill and Teresa took with their livestock on the hobby farm and now apply to their mead making.
鈥淚t was originally called Festina Lente Farms,鈥� she explained.
鈥淵ou could force them [horses and other animals]鈥� or use a nice methodical plan. It鈥檚 the same philosophy we raised our children with and our crops with.鈥�
Teresa feels Mother Nature likes to add the element of surprise to things.
Like with their Luna mead, which has a subtle hazelnut flavour due to the bees pollinating maple trees. The couple has learned to work with Mother Nature rather than try to force her.
鈥淚 doubt we can ever recreate that,鈥� she said of the unique flavour of Luna, which was bottled on the same day as the solar eclipse.
鈥淲e put all of our flavourings in [the mead] right at the beginning and let them co-ferment with the honey. It鈥檚 more complex and unique than just adding apple juice at the end.鈥�
The wines are switched up seasonally to complement what customers would be eating at that time. So, summer meads are lighter, whereas fall wines are more complex.
鈥淥ur goal was to make wine that pairs well with food,鈥� noted Teresa. 鈥淭hey are a little drier, more food-friendly wines. Maybe that鈥檚 the grape wine makers in us, but we wanted something familiar.鈥�
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New winery joins the block
Bill is able to make wine 12-months of the year because honey lasts. But the fact that it keeps indefinitely makes the process unique, he said, noting that honey resists fermentation.
鈥淚t鈥檚 slightly more complex making mead than grape wine,鈥� said Bill.
Complex is also a great way to describe the meads Bill makes.
Each of the more than 20 different varieties is easily as complex as grape wine in having varying aspects to the notes and palette.
The wines are named for a god or goddess, giving a back story the couple is eager to share with their customers.
Just as all the gods are different, the meads are as well 鈥搑anging from spicy to fruity, but very seldom sweet with none of the meads scoring higher than a two on the sweetness scale.
Those looking for a more traditional grape wine flavour will enjoy the Bacchus Pyment, which has fox grapes from 40-year-old vines incorporated into the fermentation.
Saturnalia Melomel is a nice addition to a holiday or family gathering with cranberries from Fort 91原创 in the mix, and Bonus Eventus Melomel is a light, dryish wine made with local, organic blueberries.
The new Festina Lente tasting room is open daily from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the west portion of the farmhouse at 21113 16th Ave.
