I think you are thinking beyond the traditional three months ahead.
I think that feeding to get hives up to winter weight should have no effect on the quality of honey produced 6 or 8 months later.
I think that feeding hives to keep them alive so they can survive and make a crop of honey the next year is better than the alternative regardless of the potential miniscule, if at all, contamination/adulteration of what honey might get produced by a hive.
I don't think "everybody feeds in the winter". To me, feeding during the winter, unless you are a commercial beekeeper doing so to build up your hives for almonds or early splitting, is an emergency situation and the "rules" be ****ed. You should be feeding well before Winter to get hives up to weight so they have stores to feed on through the Winter. That's what I think.
I think that feeding to get hives up to winter weight should have no effect on the quality of honey produced 6 or 8 months later.
I think that feeding hives to keep them alive so they can survive and make a crop of honey the next year is better than the alternative regardless of the potential miniscule, if at all, contamination/adulteration of what honey might get produced by a hive.
I don't think "everybody feeds in the winter". To me, feeding during the winter, unless you are a commercial beekeeper doing so to build up your hives for almonds or early splitting, is an emergency situation and the "rules" be ****ed. You should be feeding well before Winter to get hives up to weight so they have stores to feed on through the Winter. That's what I think.