Why is Darjeeling called "the champagne of tea"?

Is it because of the taste? The quality? The price? ???

Or is it just some marketing hype phrase that means nothing at all?

Reply to
Prof Wonmug
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It means exactly as much as "monkey-picked".

/Lew

Reply to
Lewis Perin

No more than Budweiser is the King of Beers.

Jim

Reply to
Space Cowboy

Champagne is a very marginal area for making wine, requiring a lot of marketing (and some added sugar) to make a good price for their bubbly wine.

Yes, Darjeeling has (like Champagne) a distinctive taste; Yes, Darjeeling is (like Champagne) overpriced. There must be some marketing hype in there too.

Reply to
Peter Roozemaal

Hype/marketing yes, but also the fact that DJ often fetches astronomical prices at auctions including the highest price paid for any tea ever. It's not the "champagne of tea" to me personally any more than Budweiser is the king of my beers... I'll take Gyokuro and a Delirium Tremens.

- Dominic

Reply to
Dominic T.

It's because the Darjeeling tea board thought of the phrase before the Yunnan tea exporters did.

I'm sure it amuses the Champagne growers immensely.

--scott

Reply to
Scott Dorsey

Really? Higher than prices for champion teas in oolong competitions? Higher than 60-80-year-old Pu'er? When did this happen?

/Lew

Reply to
Lewis Perin

DJ, Da Hong Pao, and TGY I believe all are in that realm of having been tagged as "the highest price paid" at one point or another. I'm at work so I can't look up the specifics. I'm sure Puer fits in there as well now too, but with Puer you really are getting a lot of tea for the money even at very high prices.

Darjeeling has always had a bit of exclusivity associated with it too and to me the name fits it even if it is mostly just marketing/hype.

Again, maybe not to me or you personally, but the title is used. I think that PG Tips anniversary teabag studded with diamonds is probably the most expensive however, the tea plays little role there.

- Dominic

Reply to
Dominic T.

darjeeling tea is known as the champagne of teas because of the particular taste it carries... that distinctive taste due to its location in the himalayan belt is what makes it distinctive - thats the reason why this name was given .. you can grow oolongs, greens , white teas in many parts of the world but a darjeeling tea (that distinct taste and flavor) will only come from teas grown in the district.. if you manufacture darjeeling tea the exact same way in any other part of the world you will get a diffrent cup and taste - thats what makes this so special.. there is no replica for this famous tea ... :)

Reply to
Ankit Lochan

I've seen this cited as well, but I hesitate to use it as explanation because almost all teas are distinctive and if grown identically in a new environment they will often not stack up exactly to the original or exhibit traits that expose the difference. The only thing that DJ has many times is that muscat grapey quality which could directly tie it to a champagne. I guess as with any title it has equal parts rooted in hype/marketing and some tangible reality.

- Dominic

Reply to
Dominic T.

Its not Darjeeling unless it has the Indian Board Seal of Approval. I dont care if it comes from the Taj Mahal. Taiwan makes a better Darjeeling than India if taste is your guide. Tea names are historically tied to geographical areas.

Jim

Reply to
Space Cowboy

I think the answer is rooted in English heritage. In the far off time when I was young champagne to us Brits meant luxury and high class and all that stuff. Darjeeling was the comparable luxury tea that you got in Fortnum and Mason. Somewhere, marketing hype linked the two with champagne as a symbolic connection. Later, the Darjeeling name got coopted for any type of black tea in a silver pot and dainty China cup (and served with milk in a little side pot; whatever Space Cowboy asserts, cream was never, ever, ever, ever used for tea and Devonshire clotted cream was and remains a marvelous dollop of a lump thick enough to stand up one a scone along with strawberries). The Draejeeling growers and sellers wanted to get the same protection Champagne had obtained via some UN committee. Parma ham now has the same recognition and UK stores can't market any ham as Parma unles it comes from the city. Darjeeling uses Champagne as a unique terrroir and equivalent of "region d'origine." But the basic Darjeeling as champagne link is marketing and nostalgia from the 50s. It then was like champagne for us and at its best it still is the luxury brew that even the best Taiwanese can't match. Alas, its afverage is more like Asti Spumante.

Reply to
george tasman

Sadly, there's some "Darjeeling" out there which DOES have the Indian Board Seal of Approval and still isn't really Darjeeling....

--scott

Reply to
Scott Dorsey

taiwanese black teas have a complete diffrent taste and i think the oolongs are diffrent so the question of a better darjeeling doesnt arise... a darjeeling can only come from darjeeling area - no where else... tea board certification or anything else cannot change that taste... there are quite some people in the world who understand and can distinguish that taste very well and they always pay for that quality..

Reply to
Ankit Lochan

Taiwan makes a darjeeling tasting like tea that would fool the Darjeeling Indian Board. It is called Oriental Beauty. You can see my previous posts on the subject.

Jim

Reply to
Space Cowboy

Is that because people are using the Logo illegally or IBSA is putting their seal on questionable Darjeeling?

Jim

Reply to
Space Cowboy

You think? I mean, yeah, they do remind me of Darjeeling, but not

*that* much. (They also don't mix well with Darjeelings, hehe.)

Hmm, I am out of OB, speaking of.

N.

Reply to
Natarajan Krishnaswami

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