Jason Wilson for the The Washington Post --
"Which is to say Marchese's palate is so finely tuned that she can literally taste the beekeeper's fear in a smear of honey."
Once in a lifetime you stumble upon magic, an experience like no other. A moment in time where a flower flourished and a bee worked her entire life to create a flavor so rare, that it can never be replicated the same way ever again.
Honey is rare and fragile; a bee produces only 1/12 teaspoon of honey in her entire lifetime. Every drop of honey has its own unique characteristics determined by its terroir - the botanical source, soil, climate and terrain. There are thousands of flowers that bees collect nectar to make honey from and no 2 will ever look, smell or taste the same - ever.
C. Marina Marchese is a beekeeper, author and 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 the program to the U.S. Marchese is the founder of the brand Red Bee Honey. In 2024, she was recognized with a WISE WOMAN award for her contributions to the Italian American community.
Marina's first 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 coauthored with her mentor Howland Blackiston, author of the best selling book Beekeeping for Dummies. Marina's 4th book, The World Atlas of Honey is due in September 2024. A graduate of The School of Visual Arts in NYC, her other passion is painting and printmaking botanicals and book making.
Marchese has appeared on numerous TV shows - Dr. Oz, The Chew, ViceTV - The Untitled Action Bronson Show, On the Road with Edible Nutmeg. Marina recently 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” in his book, American Terroir, owing to her obsession with varietal honey.
Portrait by Grace Devito @gmdevito
