Stephano Rocchi keeps to the the traditional methods of beekeeping that his grandfather, Franceso, taught him. His grandfather began tending bees in the early 1900s. Stephano, at the age of eight, would carefully observe his grandfather as eh prepared the hives, carefully placed them among blossoms at just 
the right moment when they would pop into bloom, and harvest the sweet nectar at the perfect time from the 100 individual bee colonies they kept. The bee colonies, or hives, are placed in strategic locations in the region of Getovia, on the Tuscan island of Elba. A large portion of Stephano's bee colonies are placed in fields of cardoons as they burst into bloom with the resulting honey being a light butterscotch color with delicate flower notes, considered to among the best of the single flower honeys. The honey is slowly extracted using low temperature centrifuge. Left unfiltered, the honey has the color and texture of caramel sauce.
Known as the pearl of the Tuscan Archipelago, Elba has long been a source of rich iron and granite deposits. Stones from this region were often used to supply the demands for the columns of Italy's most illustrious churches. Elba is also home to a treasure chest of wildlife, chestnut forests, wild flowers, porcini mushrooms and wild berries. Elba's unique mix of shady woods, mountains, culitivated fields, pristine beaches and steep cliffs lend to a variety of agricultural endeavors. The wine of Elba has been famous for its unique quality since Roman times. With all this readily accessible, it is no wonder that the honey Stephano gathers is indeed extraordinary.
500 gr/17 oz
