Wine country honey with notes of the Napa terroir.

The Beekeeper's Story

Founded in the late 1990s by Rob Keller, a UC Davis MFA graduate and member of the inaugural UC Davis Master Beekeeper Program, Napa Valley Bee Company grew out of Keller's fascination with bees during his studies of Egyptology and mummification. His philosophy centers on bee-centric, regenerative apiculture: allowing bees to build comb to their natural cell size, avoiding chemical treatments, and breeding from local survivor stock to develop Varroa mite resistance. Keller and his team manage approximately 100 colonies throughout Napa Valley, with hives at prominent wineries and restaurants including the French Laundry in Yountville. The company operates its main apiary at a Carneros farm, where bees are housed in everything from traditional Langstroth hives to old wine barrels and log hives. Honey production is intentionally small-batch and limited — Keller advises customers to 'drizzle, don't pour; think of it as a fine balsamic' — with the mission focused as much on education, bee conservation, and community stewardship as on honey sales.