VIDEO: Tantalising tea tasting session in Rivonia

Guests were treated to a crash course of the similarities between wine and tea tasting. He updated guests on the various Joekels tea brands which include Tetley, Laarger Rooibos, Tea4Kidz and many more brands. “The colour of the leaves say a lot about the quality of the tea,” explained Kelsey. “The smell is also important. You taste tea with the back of your palette.”

Kelsey explained how the different varieties of grapes make the wine and the different varieties of leaves make the tea. “For tea, tasters look for the colour, flavour and the briskness of the tea,” added Kelsey.

He said being a tea taster takes a lot of experience and learning. “We taste up to 60 cups of tea a day,” said Kelsey. “Tea is such a unique product, it’s personal. You make it how you like it.”

Joekels Tea Packers has gone far as insuring Kelsey’s tongue for R5 million. He explained that in insuring his sensory buds and tongue, Joekels is guaranteeing its customers that the teas within their range will be consistent despite fluctuations in the raw material.

Watch this video of master tea blender Jonathan Kelsey at Contessa Tea Shop in Rivonia: