Georgian Tea:

Georgia is bordered by Turkey, Armenia, Russia, and Azerbaijan. It is the size of W. Virginia and has a population of 5.5 million. The country's terrain is extraordinarily diverse: The main ridge of the Caucasus Mountains forms the northern boundary and the Lesser Caucasus form the south. The elevations range from 440 feet above sea level to 1200 feet and the country’s climate spans from subtropical to ever-snow conditions.

Much of Georgia's past is marked by invasions from Persian and Byzantine Empires, the Seljuk Turks and Mongols, and from Iran and the Ottoman Empire. In early 1800's Georgia was annexed by the Russian Empire. During that time tea was first introduced to Georgia.

Whereas Georgia’s tea harvests had initially been carefully controlled for quality, it soon became an essential commodity for a greatly expanded Russian population. By mid-20th century, Georgian botanists were endeavoring to study and improve their tea’s quality, yield, and sustainability.

A superb tea breed called Kolkhida evolved that resulted in a high quality, high-yielding, frost resistant plant. The plant originated from the breed brought from China by Eristavi, and after 60 years had mutated to Georgian climate and soil to produce a tea which cannot be duplicated anywhere else on earth.

In April 1991, Georgia regained its independence and withdrew from the Soviet Union. But through it all, Georgia’s tea production has continued to progress. We are now pleased to offer you Kolkhi Medea Tea.