A glass of wine and a cup of tea are two of life’s great pleasures, and now the two have been combined in a quirky new wine range launched by Pernod Ricard.
Called Tea & Wine, the range includes an unoaked Chardonnay infused with Egyptian camomile blossoms and a Cabernet Sauvignon infused with Sri-Lankan chai. The wines were made by infusing organic loose-leaf tea into the Chardonnay and Cabernet base wines after fermentation.
A tricky process to perfect, the final recipes took two years and hundreds of trials to create in order to strike the right flavour balance.
The experiments included blending brewed tea into wine, brewing tea in cold wine, drying grapes on a bed of tea leaves and finishing the wines in tea-smoked barrels inspired by the Chinese tradition of tea-smoked duck.
“We experimented with many ways of infusing the delicate notes of tea into wine and finally, after years of research, discovered the best method to find the perfect integration,” said Helene Herges, a spokesperson for the brand.
“In today’s busy world, it’s easy to forget to slow down and take some time for yourself. Tea & Wine is a unique product that creates the perfect combination of two celebrated drinks, ideal for a moment to indulge in some ‘me time’,” she added.
Tea supplier Corinne Smith added: “It’s exciting to see tea innovation in the spotlight. Now more than ever we are opting for higher quality and more unique flavours, and there is so much to explore and enjoy with the versatility of tea.”
The wines have gone on sale at Dan Murphy’s stores across Australia priced at AU$22 (£12) a bottle and may be rolled out around the world.
