Rooibos Tasting with New Friends

Last week we sat down with few lovely American visitors to introduce them to the world of Rooibos. They had drank Rooibos before and it is widely sold in the States but they - like most of the people we come across with - did not know that there actually are differences between depending of the growing conditions known in the wine circles as terroir.

Anton, Sunbird's founder, loves to talk about teas and Rooibos in particular. As mentioned on our About page, he was introduced to the fascinating world of teas while living below the peaks of the Himalayas in Nepal. History and geography are both also very close to his heart so he enjoys explaining how the histories of tea (Camellia sinensis) and Rooibos are intertwined and how the plants are processed. Rooibos is indigenous to South Africa and Anton's family has also been here since 1690s so there were lots of interesting stories!

We ended up brewing, smelling and tasting seven Rooibos from different terroirs. The grassy and light Green Rooibos was definitely a hit among ladies due to its potential health benefits. Long cut Wuppertal has a lot of raisin and honey on the nose. Regular cut Wild Rooibos impressed with its earthiness. 

We are looking forward to hosting more tastings in the future!