Wine is no longer my cup of Tea

I’ve always told myself: you won’t be a real grown-up until you plan an afternoon “high-tea” with your girlfriends.

True that, in my mind, the only way to gather for a chat, was around "a" bottle(s) of wine, a Friday night. You know the rest.

“Tea is boring, and only boring people drink tea”

I was SO wrong. Tea is nothing but good, fun AND trendy. I just needed to open my eyes.

"grown-up" gathering with friends

And if you look closely into it, tea and wine have a lot in common.

Tea was first planted in China.

Vines, somewhere in between the Caucasus region and the Persian Empire. 

Both, thousands of years ago.

The History of tea is long, complex, spreading across multiple cultures, over thousands of years.

Just like wine.

Both tea and wine have built their stories around mystical legends.

Some say that the emperor of China Shen-Nung was boiling his water, while a few leaves from a nearby tree were blown into its cup, changing the color and adding taste to his beverage. That was it.

Other legends from India and Japan are also commonly widespread.

Whether or not those legends are true, it shows that tea has played a significant role in Asian cultures for thousands of years.

Wine has nothing to envy to Tea in terms of History. From Egypt, to the Greek empire through the Romans, from Noah to Bacchus and Dionysos, the legends are multiple, and Wine has crossed many cultures and civilizations.

It is still very true today.

Tea and wine offer amazing varieties of flavors, aromas and complexity.

People think it is difficult to know about wine. Well, try to understand all about tea first, as – dude! -  Lipton is to tea what Randonal is to wine (private Cambodian joke, sorry).... and there are so much more to discover beyond the international brands.

From white to green to black.... tea has a lot to offer and there are various ways to make it.

- White tea is minimally processed and shows great minerality. I would compare it to a nice Sauvignon Blanc.

White tea

- Green tea has a small amount of oxidation; its characteristic flavors are grassy, vegetal, and earthy, with more power. Reminds me a bit of a young Cabernet Sauvignon.

- Black tea has more caffeine, tannins and is full body. Feels a bit similar to a powerful and aged Shiraz.

Did you know that you could find some vintage tea...?? stored during many years in a cellar. Amazing right?

And so much more to discover...

The Brits saw the trick and they made a long time ago tea AND wine their favorite beverages. They widely contributed to their reputation and worldwide commercialization. Smart of them.

Almost 6pm... i gotta run, as it is New Year’s Eve.

And even if Tea was a good surprise, it will still need to improve a lot to take over Champagne for tonight’s celebration. 

Darjeeling i love you, but you can’t compete with Ruinart. At least, not tonight!

Happy New Year to All !