Red Circle Tea Introduces Taiwanese Tribute Tea To US

San Francisco’s Red Circle Tea Introduces First Taiwanese Tribute Tea in US
(from a press release)

Red Circle Tea announces the exclusive release of one of the rarest teas in the world, Tribute Red Jade #18. This tea was hand picked and completely hand-processed in a Taiwanese monastery and took over 100 man hours to make. The monastery farms organically, and tea plants are fertilized using only soybeans and honey. The tea represents the revival of ancient hand processing methods that were replaced with the introduction of machines.

The tea plant Red Jade #18 is unique. Unlike Taiwanese teas which are generally grown and processed as oolongs, Red Jade #18 is a red tea (completely oxidized tea leaves), made from grafting Burmese Assamica to a Taiwanese native tea plant. The prefix of “Tribute” is added to the name to indicate that the tea was made in tribute to the art of hand processing. This is the only known Taiwanese Tribute tea hand processed and sold in the US.

Tribute Red Jade #18 is exclusively available at Red Circle Tea and is available for pre-sale in mid-December. Over 80 percent of the profit from Tribute Red Jade #18 will go back to the farmers, ushering in a new level of connection between consumers and tea farmers.


Canadian Tea Gifts
RedUmbrella Tea, Canada’s Loose Leaf Tea Co.

RedUmbrella Tea Teams Up with Canadian Artists to Launch Label Program

Canada’s RedUmbrella Tea Teams Up with Canadian Artists to Launch National Arts Series Label Program
(from a press release)

In partnership with six Canadian artists, Canada’s RedUmbrella Tea has launched its Canadian National Arts Series Label program.

The RedUmbrella Tea Canadian National Arts Series mission is to enhance and enrich the lives of all those who come in contact with RedUmbrella Tea by bringing the artistic work of foremost Canadian artists to RedUmbrella Tea customers, and the wider Canadian public at large, and by using a portion of the sale of each loose leaf tea product to help fund charitable programs, like Toronto’s Yonge Street Mission.

Decorated Canadian artists Wilf McOstrich, Valerie Kent, Gill Cameron, Rina Gottesman, Marianne Broome and Valerie Russell each donated one of their artistic works for use in the program.

The art donated by the six artists will be used to label RedUmbrella Tea’s loose leaf tea products.

(Disclosure: RedUmbrella is currently an advertiser at Tea Guy Speaks)


Buy Loose Leaf Tea in Canada
RedUmbrella Tea, Canada’s Loose Leaf Tea Co.

Master Tea Merchant Publishes Great Teas of China

Master Tea Merchant Roy Fong Publishes Great Teas of China, a Convenient and Authoritative Guide to China’s Finest Teas
(from a press release)

Roy Fong, a leading tea expert and proprietor of San Francisco’s renowned traditional Chinese teahouse, Imperial Tea Court, has published Great Teas of China, a compact, readable, guide to the top teas from the land where tea was first cultivated over 3,000 years ago.

Great Teas of China is a unique blend of detailed factual information about artisanal practices for growing and processing the teas it discusses, as well as personal anecdotes from Fong’s twenty-year career as a tea merchant traveling around fast-changing China. The book covers over a dozen of Fong’s favorite classic teas, ranging from hand-picked West Lake Dragon Well and expertly crafted oolong from Wu Yi Shan, to patiently aged Yunnan puerh.

Also included are Fong’s insights on choosing, brewing, and savoring each selection, plus background information on tea farming, local history and culture of tea-growing regions, and artisanal techniques for processing the leaves of Camellia sinensis, the flowering perennial at the heart of Chinese culture.

Available from the Imperial Tea web site or Amazon.


Great Teas of China

RedUmbrella Tea
Canada’s Loose Leaf Tea Co.

Bigelow Tea Blazes Trails Online

Bigelow Tea Blazes Trails Online
(from a press release)

As a family-owned company, Bigelow Tea® understands the value of personal connections, and has built its company on those values for 65 years. While traditional advertising has been instrumental in establishing Bigelow Tea’s brand, the company understands that a new generation of Internet users expects more from their favorite companies: namely, the ability to have a two-way conversation. So Bigelow Tea has embraced interactivity, reaching out across multiple online networks to engage directly with tea drinkers of all ages via the following channels:

The Bigelow Tea Talk Blog is brimming with frequently refreshed tea news, brewing tips, recipes, recommendations and health information. The blog also provides an opportunity for Bigelow Tea’s management team to personally “talk” about noteworthy developments such as ongoing green initiatives, product developments and more.

As a microblogging site, Twitter allows Bigelow Tea to interact with tea lovers from around the world in near-real time, providing healthy tea tips and general information in 140 character bursts.

Facebook is another population of over 1500 tea aficionados that follow the Bigelow Tea brand. If you are a “fan,” then you can watch Bigelow Tea videos, read status updates, check out the blog feed, buy tea and learn more about the Bigelow Tea company from the “boxes” page.

Video Channels are additional sites where Bigelow Tea hosts several short made-for-online “Tea-V” videos. Cindi Bigelow teaches viewers how to prepare a perfect cup of tea, she visits with tea drinkers on the streets of New York City and teaches Wally the Green Monster at Fenway Park how to drink tea which is both educational and entertaining. Especially popular is her chat about the health benefits of green tea with sports idols Joe Torre and Phil Simms. Videos are cross-posted on major web video destinations like YouTube, Blip TV and more.


RedUmbrella Tea
Canada’s Loose Leaf Tea Co.

Tea Master Training Slated for San Diego

Tea Master Training Slated for San Diego
(from a press release)

Aspiring tea aficionados will be gathering in San Diego in January to take part in the 13-Week Tea Mastery Certification Course offered by the American Tea Masters Association. The training includes the initial 3-Day Comprehensive Tea Mastery Course held on-site at the Courtyard by Marriott, Liberty Station, followed by the 12-Week Tea Master TeleCourse involving home study, tasting and evaluating 38 different teas, and weekly group teleconference calls for registrants to share their personal experiences.

The program offers the high level of focus and support needed to gain the competence and confidence to serve as a tea master or tea sommelier at any distinguished restaurant, hotel or tea room in the country, or start or expand one's own enterprise. It contains all the educational requirements an individual needs for achieving the association's prestigious Certified Tea Master designation and lapel pin once the training program, final examination, and blind tea tasting are successfully completed.

The 13-Week Tea Mastery Certification Course is open to a maximum of 12 participants. Tuition for the complete program is currently $2,475, less our Economic Stimuli Discount (worth $500), resulting in a net cost of $1,975. However, the Economic Stimuli Discount expires on December 31st.

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RedUmbrella Tea
Canada’s Loose Leaf Tea Co.

Rishi Tea Announces Taste Of Origin Gifts

Rishi Tea Announces Taste Of Origin Gifts From Wild-Harvested Ancient Tea Trees
(from a press release)

Rishi Tea, the 1st Place Award winner at the World Tea Championship for two years in a row, debuts Taste of Origin. This distinctive program will educate tea drinkers about the geographic origin of tea — and why it matters. The first featured Taste of Origin is Mannong Manmai in Yunnan, China, where remarkable teas are harvested from wild, ancient tea trees.

The Taste of Origin program launches with 3 exclusive Organic and Fair Trade Certified Gift Sets. Each set features unique teas from exceptional micro-lots, hand-selected during the peak harvest season for their superior representation of Mannong Manmai.

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Tavalon’s Golden Tea Ticket

Tea Company Gives An Extra Benefit For Drinking Tea
(from a press release)

One lucky tea drinker will be extra happy this holiday season when they open their package of Tavalon Tea and find a Golden Tea Ticket inside the box - worth $1,500. You too can be a winner, just by referring your readers.

By placing an order on the Tavalon website, consumers are automatically entered to win the Golden Tea Ticket. All purchases must be made before October 28, 2009.

In addition, if the winning contestant is referred to Tavalon’s site by a blogger or other website, that blogger also receives $1,500. To be eligible, the blogger has to provide a link to the contest’s web address and/or add the contest’s banner to their web page directing their readers to Tavalon.

Winners will be chosen by Tavalon and announced during the first week of December. Visit Tavalon for more information on Tavalon’s Golden Tea Ticket contest.

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Guayakí Delivers Yerba Mate Beverage Innovations

Guayakí Delivers Powerful Rainforest Experience With Newest Yerba Mate Beverage Innovations
(from a press release)

Guayakí, a pioneer and leader in the yerba mate beverage category, is driving yerba mate into the mainstream in new packages and formats. Today, Guayakí introduced two new products that are sure to tantalize the taste buds—ready-to-drink Lemon Elation Yerba Mate and the Lime Tangerine Organic Energy Shot. Delivering a rejuvenating rainforest experience, both products provide tremendous invigoration, focus and nourishment.

Fueled by yerba mate’s naturally uplifting and nourishing properties, the new Lime Tangerine Organic Energy Shot is the first-ever all organic offering in the fast-growing energy shot market. An all-natural alternative to artificial energy drinks and shots, the Organic Energy Shot provides a convenient and long-lasting boost of clean energy without the crash or jitters. Powered with whole plant extracts, including yerba mate, acerola cherry and goji berry, the Organic Energy Shot is also available in Chocolate-Raspberry and Lemon.

Now available nationally at natural and organic grocers and retailers, the new Lime Tangerine Organic Energy Shots cost $3.99 per two ounce bottle. The Lemon Elation Yerba Mate cans, available in October at grocers and retailers throughout the West Coast, cost $1.99 per 16 ounce can. Guayakí’s full line up of yerba mate products is also available online at

link

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Second Annual Northwest Tea Festival Announced

Second Annual Northwest Tea Festival Set For October 3-4, 2009
(from a press release)

The Puget Sound Tea Association is proud to announce the second annual Northwest Tea Festival. One of the premiere tea festivals in the Pacific Northwest, the Northwest Tea Festival will be taking place on October 3rd and 4th, 2009 in the Seattle Center. Featuring classes, lectures, tastings, and shopping, it will delight tea lovers of all ages.

The first Northwest Tea Festival attracted over a thousand attendees, and this year the festival promises to be an even greater experience. Celebrated tea experts Norwood Pratt and John Harney will be sharing their experiences with lectures, and novices and aficionados alike will be delighted by the wide selection of classes and workshops. Ranging from region-specific primers to more in-depth guides to traditions and practices around tea, the classes will be led by experts from across the country and are a unique opportunity for tea lovers. Tea tastings are also on the agenda, with attendees able to sample a whole spectrum of teas from the world’s most celebrated regions.

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New Book on The Meaning of Tea

New Book on The Meaning of Tea Showcases Wisdom of Tea Lovers from Around the World
(from a press release)

An illuminating new book reveals timeless insights into the health and lifestyle benefits of the 5,000 year-old tea drinking tradition through interviews with tea lovers, growers, tasters, scholars and experts from eight countries. An exploration of the history, health benefits, rituals, spirituality and simple pure enjoyment of tea, The Meaning of Tea: A Tea Inspired Journey, by Scott Chamberlin Hoyt, edited and with commentary by noted author Phil Cousineau, offers unprecedented lifestyle wisdom ideally suited for our modern culture facing the stress of economic uncertainty.

Culled from more than 50 conversations with tea pickers and plantation owners, street sellers, traders, teapot makers and eloquent tea scholars from many places where tea is revered--from India to Ireland and Taiwan to Tea, South Dakota--readers learn about how tea has brought peace, calm, health, friendship and often wisdom into their lives. The Meaning of Tea makes clear, that although tea is more popular than ever--the wholesale value of the U.S. tea industry has increased more than 400% since 1990*--it is still an underutilized source of health, solace, and friendship for the modern world.

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The Meaning of Tea

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First Independent Tea Tasting A Success

First Independent Tea Tasting A Huge Success
(from a press release)

Similar to a fine wine tasting, Tea Extravaganza 2009, the first independent tea tasting of its kind, was successfully completed at the Drake Hotel in Chicago on August 10th and 11th. The two-day event was unanimously hailed by registrants as extraordinary after tasting 14 of the finest, rarest, and most exquisite loose-leaf teas the world over. Tea Extravaganza 2009 attracted connoisseurs from all over the U.S. and Canada, including several certified tea masters. The event was co-sponsored by the Drake Hotel and the American Tea Masters Association.

What made Tea Extravaganza 2009 so unique was its independent structure. Neither of its co-sponsors, the Drake Hotel or the American Tea Masters Association, were promoting or selling any of the teas. The event was purely an experiential gathering for sampling three steepings of each of the 14 high-end, exquisite teas.

Of the 14 teas on the menu, Tenbu (Keiko), Oriental Beauty (Cloudwalker), Melon Slice (PeLi), Jun Shan Yin Zhen Silver Needle (PeLi), and the 1996 Collector’s Pu-erh Super Grade (PeLi) received the greatest praise from registrants.

As for the future, the American Tea Masters Association is giving serious consideration to launching Tea Extravaganza 2010 in four major North American cities next year, including one in Canada. For more information on the 2010 schedule, send an email to ChasKroll@TeaMasters.org or call (619) 330-9017.

Image: ATMA

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Rishi Tea Adds Two Legendary Green Teas

Rishi Tea Adds Two Legendary Green Teas to its Organic Green Tea Line
(from a press release)

One sip of green tea can reveal a world of information, from the origin in which the tea was harvested to the way in which it was made. Each origin possesses its own signature flavor, aroma and mouthfeel based on its terroir ana unique processing technique. Rishi Tea is proud to introduce the newest additions to its Organic Green Tea line: Organic Dragon Well and Organic Houjicha.

Dragon Well (traditionally referred to as Long Jing) is one of the most famous Chinese green teas named after the Dragon's Well landmark in the West Lake area of Zhejiang province, where this tea was originally cultivated. Today many of the best grades of Dragon Well come from tea-growing areas outside of Zhejiang. Rishi Tea partners with an artisan grower in Anhui, China, to produce an exquisite traditional Long Jing tea unlike any other.

In this area of pristine, high mountain tea fields, artisan masters pan-fire small amounts of fresh leaf tea in large heated woks one batch at a time. The leaves are stirred and pressed by hand in the woks until they become dry and evenly shaped, resembling flat, emerald green spear heads. Dragon Well is prized for its remarkably fresh, balanced flavor, with a roasted chestnut aroma and a slightly floral, bittersweet finish.

Houjicha is a classic roasted Japanese green tea harvested in Kagoshima Prefecture, located on the mountainous Kyushu Island. Tealeaves and stems from the autumn and winter harvests are roasted in microbatches, giving the tea a smooth, sweet and toasted aroma with hints of buckwheat and cacao. Its beautiful amber infusion and subtle yet pleasing flavor make it a popular beverage at gourmet Japanese restaurants. During the hot summer months, many Japanese families welcome guests into their homes with a cold-brewed cup of Houjicha.

Rishi Tea's Organic Green Tea line also includes award-winning Jasmine Pearl and Sencha, Spring Green, Jade Cloud, Jasmine Tea, Orange Blossom and Green Tea Mint.

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Teavana Announces Contest Winners

Teavana Announces "Tea Master's Challenge" Contest Winners
(from a press release)

Innovative tea retailer Teavana® is pleased to announce the winners of the "Tea Master's Challenge". This tea blending contest challenged customers to use creativity and their love of tea to make a new taste sensation using up to 4 Teavana teas, sugar and/or honey. Running from June 29 to August 16, 2009, over 2,300 blends were submitted with flavors ranging from fruity to spicy and everything in between. Teavana's tea experts tirelessly tasted the creative blends to narrow down to the final five.

Pearls Gone Wild won the Teavana Tea Master's Challenge!
The Grand prize winner is - Pearls Gone Wild by Meredith Cordray, who will receive a $500 gift card. In addition, her tea will be added to Teavana's new tea lineup in October, being available for purchase as a tea blend online at Teavana.com or as separate teas in Teavana stores. Pearls Gone Wild combines together three hand-rolled pearl teas as their base: Teavana's Jasmine Dragon Phoenix Pearls, Frutto Bianco Pearls, and Black Dragon Pearls. The blend of green, white and black pearl teas is highly antioxidizing, good for digestion and studies have shown can help lower cholesterol, inhibit certain forms of cancer growth, and combat the signs of aging. The fresh taste of jasmine, kiwi, lemongrass and pineapple along with the chocolaty black tea undertones can't be beat, is great anytime of the day, and is delicious hot or iced.

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New Herbal Tea Harnesses Japanese Health Practices

New Herbal Tea Harnesses 1,000 Years of Japanese Health Practices Healthier Tea with Herbal Detox
(from a press release)

It's a common mistake to believe the Japanese people have a life expectancy of 82, the highest in the world, solely because they drink green tea. In fact green teas contain caffeine and tannins that may be harmful to digestion. Instead the new Ten-Chi Cha tea from Eco Vita brings to the United States a blend of 12 herbs representing the best of herbal remedies grown in Japan for a thousand years. With 55 Billion gallons of tea consumed each year in the United States alone, the tea market is booming. The introduction of the "green movement" has only inspired a stronger drive for natural herbal teas.

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Red Mango Introduces Probiotic Iced Tea

Red Mango Introduces the First Probiotic Iced Tea July 27
(from a press release)

Red Mango, the fastest-growing retailer of authentic nonfat frozen yogurt, today announced it will become the first retailer to offer made-to-order iced teas fortified with probiotics. Three proprietary flavors, all incorporating GanedenBC30, a patented strain of probiotic shown to help support the immune system and regulate the digestive system, are available in participating Red Mango stores beginning July 27. Additionally, Red Mango's Original, Pomegranate by POM Wonderful and Tangomonium authentic frozen yogurt sold throughout New York will now include GanedenBC30 through an exclusive agreement. By September, all other Red Mango stores will have frozen yogurt with GanedenBC30.

Lemonocity (Lemonade Green Tea), Mysteaque (Vanilla Black Tea) and Fanteasia (Wildberry Hibiscus Tea) iced teas are each uniquely delicious, low-calorie, sweetened with natural cane sugar and contain a significant amount of probiotics, or good bacteria. Since its inception, Red Mango has focused on educating its customers about the advantages of authentic frozen yogurt and the probiotics Red Mango contains.

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Celestial Seasonings Green Tea Cracks Bitterness Code

Celestial Seasonings New Green Tea Cracks the Bitterness Code, Sleepytime Gets a New Flavor
(from a press release)

Celestial Seasonings has developed a line of delicious green teas that eliminate the bitterness sometimes associated with green tea, and has introduced new Sleepytime(R) Vanilla, the bestselling herbal tea's first new flavor addition in more than 20 years. Coinciding with the tea maker's 40th anniversary, these new products continue the longstanding tradition of innovation from Celestial Seasonings, which includes virtually inventing the herbal tea category in North America and first introducing green tea to mainstream consumption.

The mature tea leaves with which regular green teas are made naturally contain high levels of tannins, which can sometimes cause bitterness. Celestial Seasonings created its smoother green teas by adding Bai Mu Dan white tea, whose delicate, silky flavor profile comes from selecting only the tender buds and low-tannin young leaves of the camellia sinensis plant. The white tea infusion creates a balanced and satisfying taste with the healthful antioxidants for which green and white tea are both known. New Celestial Seasonings Green Tea is available on store shelves in nine varieties, including Authentic, Honey Lemon Ginseng and Goji Berry Pomegranate.

Also available on store shelves now is Sleepytime Vanilla, the first new flavor addition to the Sleepytime product family in more than two decades. The new variety adds rich and creamy vanilla, a favorite flavor among specialty tea drinkers, to original Sleepytime's soothing blend of chamomile, spearmint and lemongrass. Since its introduction in 1972, more than 2 billion tea bags of the original Sleepytime have been sold, making it the all-time bestselling specialty tea in North America.

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Bigelow Tea for the Troops

Bigelow Tea for the Troops – A Token of Our Thanks
(from a press release)

They put their lives on the line each and every day – to protect and to serve. “They” are our American troops who are fighting to protect our freedom far away from home, in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Bigelow family, committed to bringing a little bit of “home” to these courageous men and women, collaborated with their wonderfully supportive employees and friends to produce a special run of American Classic Tea – just for our American soldiers.

The selection of tea chosen for this thank you gift was none other than Bigelow’s American Classic Tea which was 100% grown on American soil. Nurtured in the country’s largest tea garden, the idyllic Charleston Tea Plantation purchased by the Bigelow family in 2003, the American Classic tea was lovingly packaged in a beautiful custom-made box designed by Bigelow family friend, Duke Saltus. Helping to facilitate the shipment of 100,000 boxes of tea to troops overseas was another Bigelow family friend, the USO Regional Vice President (US) Jeff Hill. The Bigelow family, friends and employees are all so excited to send this heartfelt token of thanks to the brave men and women of the American Armed Forces.

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Narien Teas Offers Hawaii-Grown Tea

Narien Teas Brings Hawaii-Grown Tea To Mainland
(from a press release)

On June 15th, Narien Teas will become the first U.S. mainland tea retailer to offer Hawaii-grown tea. Interest in terroir (the French concept of the innate flavor of wine and other culinary products which originates in its growing region) has sparked the importation of teas from unusual origins such as Guatemala, Georgia and Nepal, but Hawaii-grown tea has yet to reach the American mainland.

Florida-based Narien Teas is introducing Kilinoe (“misty rain”) Green Tea from one of Hawaii’s pioneer tea producers, Big Island Tea. Hawaii’s fertile volcanic soil, wafting mists and unique island weather patterns make it an ideal spot for tea farming. Big Island Tea is a small estate that grows teas organically with a system called “eco-farming.” They irrigate tea plants with a 100,000-gallon pond filled with Asian catfish and koi. The tea plants are grown under a canopy of endemic plant species at 3000-foot elevation. (Shade-grown, high-elevation tea is considered to be far sweeter and more nutrient-rich
than other teas.)

Tealeaves are hand-harvested, then hand-rolled and hand-fired (pan-roasted) in a traditional Chinese fashion for a nuanced, complex flavor profile. Big Island’s owner, Eliah Halpenny, has been growing and processing tea for seven years to yield her first harvest this spring. Spring harvest teas are generally the most premium and desirable; this particular tea is limited to five to ten pounds of annual production.

Narien Teas will offer a limited quantity of spring-harvest Kilinoe Tea starting at $9 for five grams (about 25¢ per cup) through their website. For most American tea aficionados, Narien Teas’ introduction of Kilinoe Green will be the first opportunity to taste Hawaii-grown tea.

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Fowler Exhibition Tells Story of Tea through Art

Fowler Exhibition Tells Story of Tea through Art from Asia, Europe and America
Steeped in History: The Art of Tea on display Aug 16–Nov 29, 2009
(from a press release)

Hot or iced, bagged or loose, black or green—whatever form it takes, enjoying a cup of tea is an act performed at least three billion times a day the world over. Indeed, more people drink tea than any other beverage except water. Steeped in History: The Art of Tea—on display at the Fowler Museum at UCLA from Aug 16–Nov 29, 2009—is a wide-ranging survey that brings together art from three continents and many centuries to delve into the history and culture of tea.

Traveling from Asia to the West, tea has played a variety of profound roles on the world scene—as an ancient health remedy, an element of cultural practice, and source of spiritual insight. Historically it was also a catalyst for international conflicts and horrific labor conditions in various countries.

Throughout its history tea has been a prevalent theme in the visual arts—scenes of tea embellish ceramics and textiles and are the subject of paintings and drawings, and all manner of vessels have been fashioned for the preparation and presentation of tea. Steeped in History brings together rare Chinese ceramics and paintings, 18th- and 19th-century Japanese ceramics and prints, extraordinary English and Colonial American paintings, vintage photographs and historical documents, tea-serving paraphernalia and furniture from many countries, and much more —to tell the fascinating history of tea.

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Tour Charleston Tea Plantation With Cindi Bigelow

Tour Charleston Tea Plantation With Cindi Bigelow
(from a press release)



A little Southern hospitality goes a long way in South Carolina's Wadmalaw Island, home of America's only tea garden, the Charleston Tea Plantation. Cindi Bigelow, President of Bigelow Tea, gives a fun and informative video tour of the idyllic plantation, purchased by the Bigelow family in 2003.

The plantation receives over 30,000 visitors each year, many of whom are curious to see a real, unique tea garden -- in all its 127-acre splendor -- and perhaps want to plan their weddings/special events on the grounds or to explore the rich history of Charleston or to simply just enjoy a lovely a cup of the plantation's signature American Classic Tea. Visitors from near and far are fascinated by the knowledge imparted by plantation founder and passionate tea aficionado Bill Hall, who now partners with Bigelow Tea in running the Charleston Tea Plantation.

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