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Which honey wine was on Shark Tank?
The honey wine on Shark Tank was Bee d'Vine, pitched by founder and winemaker Ayele Solomon in season 12, episode 5, first aired on November 13, 2020. Four sharks made a joint offer of $750,000 for 40% and he accepted on air. The deal reportedly never closed, and the winery has carried on independently.
The pitch
Solomon came in asking for $750,000. (Recaps disagree on the stake he offered: some say 20%, others 25%.) His story was unusual for the show. He had taken t'ej, the traditional honey wine of Ethiopia, where his family is from, and set out to make a refined version of it in Sonoma using only honey and spring water, with part of the purpose being to give beekeepers in places like Ethiopia's Kafa forest a reason to protect the trees.
The numbers were modest. According to recaps of the episode, he reported roughly $115,000 in sales over the previous twelve months and about $400,000 over six years, with bottles that cost around $5 to $6 to produce selling for $39 to $49.
The panel that night was Mark Cuban, Lori Greiner, Robert Herjavec, Kevin O'Leary and guest shark Daniel Lubetzky, the founder of KIND.
The deal, and what happened to it
Kevin O'Leary, who has his own wine business, stayed out. The other four did something sharks rarely do and went in together: Cuban, Greiner, Herjavec and Lubetzky offered the full $750,000 for 40% of the company, 10% each. Solomon accepted.
Handshake deals on the show are subject to due diligence afterwards, and many never complete. This was one of them. Food Republic and Shark Tank Blog both report that the deal did not go through, and no reason has been made public.
Bee d'Vine today
The exposure did what it usually does. The winery's website reportedly crashed under the orders that followed the broadcast, and the business carried on without shark money. Since then, according to Food Republic's follow-up, Bee d'Vine has:
- expanded the range to eleven honey wines (today's shop includes three sparkling wines, bottlings made with Ethiopian and Tanzanian forest honey, a reserve and a 3-liter format);
- reached customers in Europe and Asia and been poured as an in-flight drink on Ethiopian Airlines;
- published a book on the history of honey wine;
- marked its tenth anniversary in 2024.
On the show Solomon quoted retail prices of $39 to $49 (one recap says $29 to $39). Today the core Brut and Demi Sec are $49 and the sparkling wines $56 to $59.
What about net worth?
You will see figures of one to four million dollars on Shark Tank fan sites. Treat them as guesses. Bee d'Vine is privately held and publishes no financials, and the sites that quote a "net worth" do not cite a source. The only numbers with a clear origin are the ones Solomon gave on air in 2020, and the $1.875 million valuation implied by the offer he accepted ($750,000 for 40%).
Which bottle to try
The winery's two core wines are still the two to start with: the semi-sweet Demi Sec and the dry Brut. Both are 12.5% ABV and made from raw clover honey and spring water.
Want the full picture first? Read our complete Bee d'Vine guide, compare the full range, or go straight to the winery's shop.
Frequently asked questions
What is the honey wine from Shark Tank called?
Bee d'Vine (often searched as Bee Divine, Bee Devine or B d'Vine). It is a honey wine, or mead, made in Sonoma Valley, California by founder and winemaker Ayele Solomon.
What episode of Shark Tank was Bee d'Vine on?
Season 12, episode 5, which first aired on November 13, 2020. Daniel Lubetzky, the founder of KIND, was the guest shark.
Did Bee d'Vine get a deal on Shark Tank?
On air, yes: Mark Cuban, Lori Greiner, Robert Herjavec and Daniel Lubetzky jointly offered $750,000 for 40% of the company, and Ayele Solomon accepted. According to later reporting the deal was never finalized.
Is Bee d'Vine still in business?
Yes. The winery celebrated its tenth anniversary in 2024, has expanded its range to around eleven honey wines and sells direct from its website.
What is Bee d'Vine's net worth?
There is no reliable public figure. Bee d'Vine is a private company and does not publish financials. Numbers quoted on Shark Tank fan sites are estimates. The only hard figures on record are the ones given in the pitch: about $115,000 in sales in the previous year and $400,000 over six years, as of 2020.
Where can I buy the Shark Tank honey wine?
Directly from the Bee d'Vine website, which ships from California. We have not verified which stores carry it.