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Why tea deserves its place at the table

19 March 2026 By Michael Huband

The founders of Saicho Sparkling Tea desperately wanted an alcohol-free option that matched wine for its complexity and pairing potential, so they turned to a drink with a similarly rich heritage.

An agricultural product with a rich heritage, in which terroir and craftsmanship come together to create a drink fit for celebration. It is a common theme for db’s Spring Tasting, which routinely features Champagnes, long-aged reds and luscious sweet wines.

This year, however, the first product to fit that description was not a wine. It was not even alcoholic. That is because the tasting opened with a flight of Saicho Sparkling Teas.

Judged completely blind by experts, the teas secured glowing reviews for their finesse and elegance. Without aping the wine category, they went toe-to-toe with famed winegrowing regions, proving that tea can be celebratory, complex, and perfect to match with food.

A desire to celebrate

The parallels with wine stem, in part, from the inception of Saicho Sparkling Tea. Husband and wife founders Charlie and Natalie Winkworth-Smith were inspired after an evening in a high-end restaurant.

While Charlie drinks wine, Natalie is unable to do so. Thus, he could peruse the extensive wine list while she, after surveying an unimpressive soft drinks menu, settled for a glass of tap water.

The evening threw into stark relief the difference in experience. Charlie enjoyed the theatre of wine service, discussions of vineyard terroir and carefully calibrated food pairings. None of that was offered with the soft drink selection.

*The complexity of tea production can match that of wine.*

They left inspired to seek out a non-alcoholic drink worthy of sophisticated celebration.

Certainly, that meant tasting great, but it also meant a drink with a history and craft behind it. Much as Champagne, for instance, has become a benchmark for celebration because of its complexity and nuance, the pair wanted a drink that delivered in both flavour and story. Indeed, if they succeeded, they would create a drink to stand alone, without the need for comparisons or the ‘alternative’ label.

Inspiration from home comforts

In retrospect, you can see why they were the right people for the job. They had met while studying for PhDs in food science, and so knew the demands of the market and the complexities of getting a new product to consumers.

Moreover, their respective heritages gave them unique perspectives on how beverages can augment a meal. Charlie grew up in the UK, in a culture that firmly places wine at the heart of the meal and strongly associates it with celebration. Natalie, on the other hand, was born and raised in Hong Kong, where tea is central to dining, reflecting longstanding rituals and history.

She knew that tea could express a huge range of flavours – from floral and fruity tones to nutty and umami notes – depending on its region, production and the season. This, it seemed, was the plant that would yield their sophisticated non-alcoholic option.

*Natalie and Charlie, surrounded by tea bushes.*

It took two years for them to reach the range of three teas they were happy to release: Jasmine, Darjeeling and Hojicha. Although each was different, the work sampling hundreds of teas and experimenting with production processes meant that Charlie and Natalie had formulated the guiding principles of Saicho Sparkling Tea.

Provenance and process

Despite the differences between the three teas, they are united by an approach that expresses their nuances and complexity. In short, the teas are selected for their unique character and treated to reveal the most flavour.

That starts with the sourcing: all Saicho Sparkling Teas are single origin. Rather than blending together different components, each of the teas retains the character of its estate: the types of soils, that season’s rainfall and the workers’ techniques.

Saicho’s Darjeeling, for instance, is grown in the Himalayan foothills of India, where warm days and cool nights emphasise its distinctive muscatel aroma. The Jasmine tea, on the other hand, comes from the mountains of Fujian province in China, whose high altitudes slow the ripening process for delicate aromas.

*Workers at one of the estates supplying Saicho Sparkling Tea.*

These characteristics are protected by a careful production process. Each batch is cold-brewed in Shropshire spring water for 24 hours to ensure all its flavours are extracted. While boiling water can remove nuances and increase astringency, the patient process of cold-brewing heightens the aromatic profile and preserves the tea’s delicacy.

For balance, the teas are given a small dash of grape juice to add acidity and a touch of sweetness. Just as the liqueur d’expedition helps bring out Champagne’s aromas, so too does this addition enhance the palate.

Then, as the final touch, the drink is gently carbonated. That lets the aromas – quite literally – leap from the glass, while tying the range to a sense of celebration that, in Europe at least, is usually sparkling.

Pairing potential

With an approach that favours complexity and nuance, it is no surprise that Saicho Sparkling Teas are versatile partners at the dining table. As well as satisfying Natalie’s desire for a complex, storied drink, the teas provide her – and fellow drinkers – with a wealth of food pairing options.

To hammer the point home to any sceptics, Saicho has partnered with a number of top chefs to explore the dishes that Saicho Sparkling teas could enhance.

Executive Chef Joris Rousseau of Michelin-starred Feuille in Hong Kong matches Saicho Hojicha to sea bass with nasturtium and carrot.

“It’s light and tender from slow cooking,” he says, “and the Hojicha, with its roasted chestnut and seaweed notes, ties everything together beautifully—it’s incredible!”

*Gastronomic potential was the founding principle of the producer.*

The chef behind the world’s only three-Michelin-starred restaurant, Tresind Studio in Dubai, has an imaginative pairing for Saicho Jasmine. Himanshu Saina serves it alongside his pickled pepper with tangerine flowers and buttermilk curry ice cream.

“The scent of the tangerine flowers really goes well with the floral notes of the jasmine, and the scent of vanilla complements the dish beautifully,” he comments. “The cleansing buttermilk curry ice cream takes care of your palate going forward.”

As for Saicho Osmanthus, the latest addition to the range, chefs are proving its versatility with sweet pairings. Lisa Goodwin-Allen, who is chef patron at Michelin-starred Northcote in Lancashire, matches it with her blackcurrant, sour cream, licorice & chocolate dessert.

“This is quite light, fragrant, fruity, so for me, it can take something that’s a little bit different,” she explains. “That real fruitiness that comes through carries itself with the blackcurrant that brings it out a little bit more. The chocolate, the velvetiness from the chocolate really does make it stand out.”

Patrick Schmitt MW tasted the range of Saicho Sparkling Teas at The Drinks Business Spring Tasting. He offers his take on them below.

Saicho Jasmine Sparkling Tea

If you want to know why sparkling tea is fast growing in popularity, try this delicious, fruity-floral, finely-fizzy, refreshing alcohol-free drink. Layers of complementary flavours abound, from tea leaves to ripe peach, and wood smoke to white flowers. Texturally it’s complete, with a creamy sensation from the bubbles, a touch of mid-palate sweetness, and then a finish made dry and cleansing by the presence of fine, mouth-coating tannins.

Saicho Hojicha Sparkling Tea

Deep amber in colour. An unusual nose with notes of stewed tea and roasted pumpkin. The palate echoes the aromatics, showing stewed tea leaves, alongside touches of tangerine and caramel. Finely fizzy, and slightly grippy in texture, with delicate dry tannins and a hint of freshness, although the core exhibits noticeable sweetness.

Saicho Darjeeling Sparkling Tea

Appealing pale gold in appearance. Pure, tea-driven aromatics. The palate is quite strongly flavoured, with clear tea notes alongside peach and apricot. A touch of sweetness is balanced by fine fizz and plenty of delicate dry tannin, leading to a lingering, fresh, dry finish. Clean, structured, and distinctly tea-leaf driven.

Saicho Osmanthus Sparkling Tea

Lemon yellow in colour. Peachy, gently sweet aromatics with a hint of tea leaf. On the palate, fine white tea notes are joined by delicate white floral hints and orange blossom, alongside ripe peach. Finely fizzy with delicate dry tannins, a touch of grip, and refreshing acidity. The core shows light sweetness but remains delicate, balanced, and refreshing.

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