Tea tincture on wine – the technology of cold maceration of tea leaves

Tea is the perfect way to start every morning and, with proper tea immersion, end a busy day. Wine, in turn, goes well with dinner or a relaxing evening with friends. But what if you could combine these two drinks? After all, wine and tea have a lot more in common than you might think. So, tea on wine or wine on tea …

What do tea and wine have in common? A lot of everything. For example, the term terroir can be applied to both the tea leaf and the grapes from which the wine was made. Climate, soil type, topography, surrounding flora and fauna – all this affects the quality (and price) of tea and wine. Surprisingly, even the production of both drinks is based on similar principles: wine is obtained by fermenting grape juice, tea is a product of partial or complete fermentation of a tea leaf. Finally, those who know firsthand about good Chinese tea and the right way to drink it also know how complex, deep and multifaceted its taste and aroma can be. I’m pretty sure it’s even more complex and multifaceted than vintage Cabernet Sauvignon and its ilk.

Why insist wine on tea? First, it’s interesting! The possibility of obtaining fundamentally new drinks through very simple manipulations pleases. Second, others are already doing it! For example, the Teavine company offers its customers white wine with green tea and honey, the Hernder Estate insists Japanese green tea on Gewurztraminer, the Steep’d brand mixes white wines (a blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Viognier) with green tea and natural peach extract , and red ones (blend of Cabernet, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot) with rooibos and natural pomegranate flavor. Third, it’s delicious! Complex fruity shades of wine perfectly emphasize the grassy motifs of tea and vice versa. Why don’t you try it too?

For those who are not impressed by the degree of wine and want something stronger, I recommend paying attention to the recipes for tea liqueurs. Yes, they are not so elegant and subtle, but at the same time, they are simple and understandable to most drinkers.

About the choice of tea and wine for tincture

I have been fond of Chinese tea since December last year. I won’t say that I’m directly immersed in this topic with my head, but to friends and acquaintances, I think I have already buzzed all ears on this matter. Well, my dear readers, it’s your turn. This time I will be brief, but we will definitely return to this topic in the future. And choosing the right tea for our tincture is very important!

There are several classifications of tea, but the generally accepted and more understandable for an inexperienced person is the classification according to the degree of fermentation of the tea leaf. In Europe, it is customary to divide all tea into green (weakly fermented tea with a light taste, floral aroma and yellowish color of the infusion) and black (heavily fermented tea with a rich taste, berry-spicy aromas and a red-brown color of the infusion). In the Chinese classification of the main tea categories, there are more, namely six: white, green, yellow, oolong (oolongs are divided into light and dark, which is due to the degree of roasting of the tea leaf, the degree of fermentation and production features), red tea (it is called in the European classification black) and pu-erh (pu-erh is divided into shu and shen). According to the degree of fermentation, the picture looks something like this:

Shen pu-erh looks more like semi-fermented oolongs and can be safely attributed to light oolongs. Conditionally, of course.

The classification of tea allows us to single out a certain group with similar characteristics (taste, aroma, effect on the body, condition, etc.) from a huge variety of Chinese and not only tea. With our tincture, it will also come in handy. Light teas are best combined with white wines: white, green, light oolongs, possibly shen pu-erh. Red wine is better to insist on dark teas: dark oolong, red, shu pu-erh. Oolongs are the most versatile type of tea. They have such a depth of taste that they can be combined with both the richest red and fresh white wines. Here are my recommendations:

With white wines worth trying:

• green Chinese and Japanese teas;
• white teas such as Bai Hao Yin Zhen, Bai Mu Dan, etc.;
• young shen pu-erh to your taste;
• light Chinese and Taiwanese oolongs like Te Guan Yin;
• delicate red teas – for me it is Da Jin Ya, Yunnan Dian Huns, Jin Jun Mei, etc.;
• Indian Darjeeling of the first collection (required with Muscat wines).

Red wines can be paired with:

• light Chinese and Taiwanese oolongs like Te Guan Yin;
• dark oolongs such as Da Hong Pao, Zhou Gui, etc.;
• pronounced Chinese red teas such as Keemun, Hong Bi Lo, Yixing Hong Cha, etc.;
• not Chinese red teas like Assam;
• red smoked tea Zheng Shan Xiao Zhong, also known as Lapsan Souchong;
• shu and sheng pu-erh to your taste.

With the choice of wine it will be easier: only dry, maximum semi-sweet, not expensive, but not complete consumer goods. The best solution would be to buy inexpensive imported wine from France, Italy, Chile, etc. in the market for a promotion. Bad at wines? Take those that are well known: Cabernet, Merlot, Riesling, Pinot Grigio, etc. Make no mistake. And now it’s time to move on to practice!

Taiwanese cold brew tea

Everyone knows that cold tea is harmful, as well as the fact that a cold tea leaf cannot be brewed again. In Chinese tradition, this is one of the main tea taboos. Fortunately, there is a beautiful island of Taiwan, where the inhabitants, exhausted by the unbearable heat, came up with the idea of ​​brewing tea with cold water. It looks something like this: a tea leaf (about 2 teaspoons of tea per 1 liter of water) is poured into a jug of cold water and left overnight in the refrigerator. During this time, a slow extraction of tea takes place and it opens in a completely different way. The drink turns out to be lighter, fruity, thin. The risk of getting tea bitterness is minimal. All we need to do is replace the water with wine and let’s go!

Brewing time for cold water tea:

• green, yellow and white teas – 6 to 8 hours
• light and dark oolongs – from 8 to 10 hours
• red teas – from 8 to 12 hours
• shu and shen pu-erh – from 10 to 12 hours
• herbal preparations – from 12 to 14 hours

Basic recipe for wine tincture on tea

Technology:

Option 1. Place the tea leaf in a jug or jar of suitable size, add wine, stir, close the container tightly and leave in the refrigerator for 6-12 hours or more, depending on the type of tea. After 6-8 hours, the drink can be tasted. When you are satisfied with the taste of tea-saturated wine, strain it through a sieve or several layers of gauze. If there is a fine suspension, filter the drink through a coffee or cotton filter. Enjoy!

Option 2. Before putting the tea into the container, place it in gauze and quickly rinse with hot water – this will help “open” the tea leaf and speed up the maceration process. How this will affect the properties of the tea leaf, I do not know, so – at your own peril and risk.

Notes:

1. White wines should be infused in the refrigerator, red wines at room temperature.
2. A good rule for brewing tea with cold water is 1 tsp for 2 liter of water. tea. Tight twisted teas should be taken less, as well as pressed pu-erhs. Volumetric leaf teas – a little more. You can follow another rule: for 1 liter of water – 3-4 g of tea. There are no strict rules. Listen to your instincts and do as you see fit.
3. Shu pu-erh for our tincture will be quite a curiosity, but it’s worth a try. Before mixing it with red wine, I recommend soaking the pressed leaf (and it will most likely be pressed) in cold water: pour cold water for 5 minutes, drain, pour again and so on 3-4 times. Also, at the finish, the sheet can be doused with hot water.
4. Do not use expensive Chinese tea – it’s not about that at all!

A couple of wine and tea recipes for inspiration

Mix together and leave overnight in the refrigerator in an airtight container. The next day, strain through a sieve or cheesecloth. Serve chilled.

Mix together and leave overnight in a sealed container at room temperature. The next day, strain through a sieve or cheesecloth. Before serving, let the wine breathe, saturate with oxygen.