The short version is that we fixed on the idea of calling our wine 'Domaine de l'Abeille' at an early stage, because on inspecting the map around our first vineyard block, the nearest high point is called the 'Roc de l'Abeille' (or Rock of the Bee). We then decided that we wanted to have a second label called Genoux de l'Abeille (the Bee's knees). Then we got carried away reading all about the symbolism of Bees, and began to realise quite what an apt and relevant name it was, given the importance of bees to our ecosystem, and the precarious health of the honeybee population. On applying for a trade-mark, a Monsieur Abeille opposed our registration for 'Domaine de l'Abeille, so we reverted to the English version 'Domaine of the Bee' For those of you who might be interested in reading more about the symbolism of bees, we may post a couple of pages that describe some of the weird and wonderful paths that researching Bee mythology has taken us down (Grail Legends, Napoleon, Mormons, Egyptian godesses etc) but for now we will content ourselves with directing you to Andrew Gough's Arcadia

Here, there is no way round a short explanation of the concept of ‘yield’. It is the tiny yields achieved in many vineyards in this area that are the secret to why the wine is so good, but also why it can never be cheap to produce.

Most wine, made from relatively vigorous young vines in reasonably fertile soils with good access to water will produce approximately one bottle for every square metre of vineyard land. A hectare is 100 metres x 100 metres (a bit bigger than a football pitch). So – approximately 10,000 bottles. In an area like, say, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, where the lack of fertility and the absence of easy water give the famously concentrated (and alcoholic) style of one of France’s favourite wines, you might expect 4-5,000 bottles a hectare.

We have 4 hectares, so if we had yields equivalent to Chateauneuf, you might expect 15-20,000 bottles, but we only made 3,000 bottles of this wine in 2007. Imagine a square 4 metres by 4 metres. With one bottle sitting in the middle. That is roughly the yield that these ancient vines give us.

The flipside of this alarmingly small production is that the quality and concentration of the wine produced has the potential to be exceptionally good.

Make no mistake, this is a big red wine, and you have to be both brave and a bit wild-eyed to tackle it on your own. The first ideal ingredient is a friend with whom to drink it. With a lit barbeque on the go, or a crackling log fire, then even some crisps and cheesy nibbles will help to tame the wine’s youthful vigour.

However, this quite a pricey bottle to knock back as an aperitif, so we’d suggest starting with something light and white, and then serving Domaine of the Bee with the main course.

We are only just starting to experiment with food matches, and this is hardly a science. To slightly misquote Captain Barbosa in ‘Pirates of the Carribean’ (in a throaty pirate voice) “Food Matching Rules? – Ha Haaarrggh – we don’t think so much of rules as……… guidelines”

So, the first guideline is – hardly surprisingly – red meat. Steak grilled on the barbeque is perfect, but spit-roasted lamb or wild boar is equally delicious, and mammoth even better. Perhaps easier to obtain in your local Waitrose would be good meaty sausages. In winter time, roast beef, stews or casseroles would be equally good.

Second guideline – savoury and/or salty foods will help bring out the sweetness of the fruit, and will take the edge off the tannins. We had some ‘unearthed French Pave´ Peppercorn Salami’ from Waitrose, which was excellent, and a thinly sliced sliver of Parmesan goes very well too.

Third guideline is – avoid Chilli. Hot and spicy food makes the tannins harden, and suppresses the fruit.

As time goes by, we will come up with some more felicitous matches, which we will share with you. We are also keen for you to tell us about any discoveries that you have made so we can share them with other Domaine of the Bee drinkers on our website.

No we don't. There is a saying in the world of wine:

Q: How can you make a small fortune in the wine business?
A: Start with a large fortune and buy a winery.

In 2007 and 2008, our wine was made by Richard Case at the small winery he uses for his Domaine de la Pertuisane. But in 2009, a fantastic new winery was constructed in Maury by Californian Dave Phinney, who has bought 80 hectares of vines in the valley. Richard is his winemaker and manager, and all of the wines that Richard makes for himself and for us have also been moved into the new winery from the 2009 harvest onwards.

No – just vines. We stay in chambres d’hotes or in gites (or sometimes, on short trips, with Richard and his wife Sarah). We keep eying up tumbledown shepherds huts in the hills, but so far the magical combination of enough spare cash, enough spare time, a willing vendor and planning permission have never, all four, been found in the same place. One day, maybe…..

There is an old adage that has it that ‘a good wine gets better with age’ and while there is certainly some truth in it, there are plenty of wines that are absolutely delicious when young. Most wines change with age, and wines that are designed to be aged start off life very concentrated and hard to drink will gradually mellow over time.

Predicting how a wine will age is not easy when there are no previous vintages to taste. Other wines made by Richard, or in the region, provide the best reference point.

But to a large extent, as with most things in life, it is down to what you personally prefer. So we will attempt to describe how we think the wine will taste at various stages, and you can make up your own mind. Or if you are an anal retentive (some of the best people are), buy 12 bottles, and drink 1 a year over 12 years, and plot the results on a graph.

0 to 1 years after bottling (April 2009)

Very fruity – exuberantly so, but with a lot of tannin and youthful vigour. Some oaky flavours noticeable, and not yet fully integrated. Great concentration, and the fruit flavour lasts a long time in the mouth.

1-3 years after bottling

The immediacy of the fruit will subside, and the tannins will start to soften. The oak flavours will become less obvious, and will start to meld with the tannins. More complex secondary aromas will start to emerge. Some sediment may start to appear as the tannins and anthocyanins (colour compounds) start to polymerise.

3-5 years after bottling

The fresh fruit apparent in the first year will have evolved into a more complex, seamless olfactory experience, and the palate should be smooth and satisfying. It will still be a ‘big’ wine, with noticeable tannin, and power.

5-10 years after bottling

Who knows? It could keep on improving, or it could start to fade slowly and gracefully into old age.

Speaking for myself – I love the taste of young wine, and don’t always find that wines actually ‘improve’ as they age. They do change, and that gradual change is very interesting to monitor. It is one of the reasons why buying a case is very rewarding.

If I bought a case, I would be likely to drink 6 bottles in the first year, and couple of bottles a year after that. If, each time a bottle is opened, it seems to need more time, then I’d wait a bit longer before opening the next.

At present, wine can only be bought through our shop for delivery to UK destinations.

We will shortly be able to take orders for delivery in the USA, through a partnership that we are establishing with an importer. More news shortly.

We do hold a limited amount of stock in France, and can arrange delivery in France, and possibly to other countries too, but you will need to contact us at worker@domaineofthebee.com.

Let it out of the bottle for a couple of hours before you drink it (a decanter, or even a jug will do fine) to allow it to open