Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/491359
24 STiR tea & coffee industry international CANADA Basilur's New Blends Basilur Tea Canada is introducing 'Basilur Fruit Infusions' in response to the market's increasing demand for herbal infusions as a healthy, caffeine- free beverage option. Basilur Tea's blends use 100% Ceylon tea and in 2012 and 2013, the company won 'Best Export Brand of the Year' award in Sri Lanka, presented by SLIM – the country's national body of marketing affiliated to the World Marketing Association. Introduced to Canada in 2012, Basilur Tea is developing innova- tive in packaging and flavors with 15 brand new designs and blends released to the market. In 2012, the company's crafted tins in the shape of books, 'Tea Books', won a Top 10 Trends & Innovations award at SIAL Canada. 2014 will see the official launch of gourmet tea collections such as 'Treasure Chest', 'Vintage Style', 'Window' and 'With Love' collections. Learn more: www.basilurtea.ca one of France's most famous wine regions, from August 4-8, 2014. Run by Nadia Bécaud, who founded "Cha Yuan" in Lyon some 25 years ago, this educational one week course takes place every summer. Bécaud welcomes around 12 participants to L'Institut du Thé, which is hosted in her house and nearby local guest houses, for five days of teach- ing and tasting. The sessions focus on introductory botanics, white and yellow teas, the most famous green terroir teas, fine oolongs, main terroir black teas, and the dark tea family with famous Puer teas. A follower of Zen Buddhism, Bécaud now focuses on teaching and sharing her wealth of knowledge, gained from 20 years of tea buying travels, mainly in China. She is a certified tea master and teacher at the South China Tea University of Nan- chang, and her training also includes the basic traditional tea serving rituals, the handling of the tools, and the different ways of brewing the various cups. Learn more: www.institut-the-zen.com Teafarm's Plants Survive Cold Teafarm, an 11-acre organic farm in the fertile Cowichan Valley on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, is Canada's first tea garden. Two hundred tea plants went into the ground in May 2012 on two south facing terraces and the seedlings have made it through three harsh winters, weathering temperatures ranging from -13ºC to summer highs of 36ºC. The plants have remained uncovered throughout their four-year journey and the tea has been processed every year and continues to develop its Cowichan Valley flavor. This year the tea will be sold for culinary purposes and the exciting expectations of the 2014 first flush will determine whether it is ready to be shared with the tea world. Eight hundred more seedlings will be planted in spring 2014. The farm also grows a variety of plants and flowers, and sells organic loose tea from select tea estates around the world and funky teapots crafted by owner Margit Nellemann. Learn more by contacting Victor Vesely and Margit Nellemann Learn more: www.teafarm.ca Tea Summer School 2014 Montreal's famous Camellia Sinensis Tea School will for the first time open its doors for two weekend tea programs to be given in English. The Summer School 2014 will have 2 different programs, both based on a three-day weekend. Tea enthusiasts will be offered two days of tea related activities and a chance to enjoy the magical 'joie de vivre' of summertime in Montréal. All teas tasted will be fresh spring arrivals or vintage aged classics selected at source by Camellia Sinensis' four tasters for their renowned World catalog. The CS Team has compiled a list of lodging possibilities, favorite restaurants and suggested activities to help visitors enjoy Montréal's passion for good living and to ensure a memorable stay. Learn more at www.camellia-sinensis.com or contact: info-en@camellia-sinensis.com Thés George Cannon Course During the annual International BtoB Tradefair " Europain & Eurosucre" in Paris in March 2014, cocoas and single origin chocolates from Madagascar were the guests of honor at the Planetgout booth. In 2013 the first chocolate and tea masterclasses, pairing award-winning terroir chocolates with fine origin teas, were devoted to Ecuador. This year the masterclasses focused on terroir chocolates from Madagascar. Such unblended, pure origin chocolates have been launched during the past 20 years for knowledgeable cocoa passion- ates and amongst the most famous are Criollo porcelana from Mexico, Trini- tarios from Cuba, and Madagascar Criollos, with their indigenous spontane- ously developed cultivars that give a unique, specific and slightly acid FRANCE Tea Talk in Wine Country A seminar about the complete range of fine terroir teas will be held in Burgundy, Tea Report Jane Pettigrew