Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/491368
STiR tea & coffee industry international 55 ing more complicated every day to im- port products to Argentina. That's an advantage for us in one sense because it reduces our competition, but it's also a disadvantage because we're not allowed to bring in the raw materials we need for our blends. Hopefully this will change soon." Bisogno agrees that, "We know this will change, eventually. In the mean time we are trying to do our best and en- courage Argentinean tea manufacturers to always produce better teas. We are also working with a factory on the production of small quantities of orthodox tea." This would be a new trend for Argentinian tea growers since almost all tea grown in the country is small-particle tea processed in Rotovanes, Lawrie Tea Processors, and Vertical Sniechowski Tea processors. Education, training and events As in other parts of the world, raising awareness about tea and offering con- sumers the opportunity to taste and learn more about the product is helping to drive the market. At present, three educational bodies are running courses, both in the classroom in Buenos Aires and online - El Club del Té, IRIMI Centro Argentino de Te, and Escuela Argentina de Te. The list of stu- dents who take the Tea Sommelier course and the Tea Blending course organized and taught by Victoria Bisogno of El Club del Te includes trainees from Aruba, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, England, France, Guatemala, Israel, Italy, Mexico, Panama. Peru, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan, Uruguay, the US and Venezuela. Some of those who complete the courses given by the various schools go on to set up their own businesses to either sell tea or organize tea events, while others take the classes simply because they love tea and wish to understand more about it. When Bisogno runs her courses at the Tea Club, "I use different brands or no brands at all. When I teach I need to be impartial. Actually I try to let my students know as many brands as possible. What is important is that through education, through knowledge, I can help someone start enjoying and even loving tea, and that's a very comforting feeling." In addition to running El Club de Te, Bisogno reaches out to new consumers through special events, and social networks. "I find that if I explain what we are tasting, if I can give it a meaning, people are very likely to enjoy it and wish to take that experience home with them. It is true that black teas are more familiar to tea lovers´ taste, but I always encourage people to try greens, whites, oolongs, pu-erh, etc. The truth is that the tea I sell is quite expensive, so I need to explain why it is expensive, and what makes it so special." The larger tea companies also understand the importance of attracting the atten- tion of new customers. Max Lucia explained that when Timos "participates at fairs and exhibitions, we organize tasting opportunities for the public and talk to people about new blends and trends taking place in the market." Tea sometimes makes an appearance on television on food channels such as El Gourmet and Fox Life, and women's magazines often present new products or suc- cessful tea houses and retail stores. And whereas, five years ago, nobody wrote or talk- ed about tea, now there are a number of companies and brands that promote tea and organize tasting sessions, tea parties, tea service, etc. and interviews with the people behind those events appear regularly on TV, and in magazines and newspapers. Euromonitor predicts "Increasing exposure to gourmet products will drive growth of tea products in the coming years." The burgeoning number of events, classes, tast- ing sessions, and courses will help to consolidate this trend. Zwirnerei a. d. Wutach GmbH P.O. Box 1163 79778 Stühlingen · Germany Phone +49/ 7744/ 9396-0 Fax +49/ 7744/ 9396-20 info@zwirnerei-wutach.com www.zwirnerei-wutach.com TEA BAG THREAD FOR ALL TYPES OF TEA-PACKING MACHINES The number and variety of specialty teas in grocery stores is growing. El Club del Té founder Victoria Bisogno teaching classes with husband Martin.