Tea at the Unicorn Wine Guild

Tea-related education and events, the enjoyment of the beverage and the culture of tea

Dec 26

A New Year’s Tea

by teaattheunicornwineguildllc

The excitement of the season is drawing to a close.  A new year  is about to begin.  You resolved that on  New Year’s Day you will make resolutions.  The end of the world didn’t happen on December 21.  Maybe 2012 was a great year for you.  Maybe not.  The United States sure went through it’s traumas from mass shootings to election woes and financial cliffs.  Still, you have survived and maybe thrived. When the New Year’s Eve party is over and you have served your traditional New Year’s dinner, whether it’s kraut and pork or Hoppin’ John or whatever is traditional for you, perhaps a Jasmine or Earl Grey tea will do.  Or maybe you will be ready to curl up with your notebook, calendar and a chocolate chai.  Today is the day to take some time for you.  Take a breath.  Ponder on your resolutions.  Yes, enjoy the football games if you desire, but maybe your tastes run to a good movie.  Or maybe you are spending some time with your significant other or immediate family planning how to be more prosperous, healthier and connected this year.  Thank you notes can wait until tomorrow or get them out of the way now and then relax.  The important thing to do is take time for you.  Relax.  Meditate. Think about the last year.  Did you meet your goals?  Did you have to set them aside for something more urgent?  Is it time to bring those goals forward again? Regroup and make plans.  If they are big plans break it into manageable pieces.

Maybe your tea is a party with friends or club members.  The same goes.  Take the time to plan the coming year.  Review last year.  Were goals achieved?  What are the new goals?  How will you measure success?  Are they achievable in the time you have given it?  Does the goal or the time need adjusted?  You cannot lose 50 pounds in a week and trying to lose it in a month is dangerous.  But a year?  It’s doable.  Maybe treat yourself  to a pretty notebook and calendar set.  Mark your goal deadlines on the calendar.  Keep a diary.  Reward yourself for your little successes.  Maybe your goal is to save money.  Think of ways to do this.  Maybe couponing and saving $10 a week is a doable goal for you.  Maybe eliminating that fancy coffee drink twice a week (and still saving that $10) will work for you.  Maybe stopping smoking is one way.  That could save you even more down the road by saving hospital bills.  Maybe it’s time to learn a new skill.  Use the library and the internet to help with that or research ways to get that training for free or with financial help.

Take a couple of hours to sit and dream.  Plan and make notes.  Whether it is by yourself, or with family or circle or club, take the time to enjoy tea, think positive thoughts and may 2013 be a brighter year.

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May 9

Tea and Chocolate Pairing

by teaattheunicornwineguildllc

This can be a fun event for you, a small group of friends or even as a larger charity event.  The décor can be as formal or informal as you wish.  You will want to avoid heavily scented flowers, room fresheners, candles and foods, as they may detract from the scents of the teas and chocolates.

Before the event you will want to consider making a “scorecard” for each participant listing the teas and chocolates to be sampled along with room for notes.  Remember, people have different tastes.  No one is right or wrong.   You may want to have some categories for them to consider such as smell, feel, visual appeal, grade (how well you like it) and what you might consider serving with the offering.

As with tasting wine and chocolates, begin with the lightest and work toward the dark and heaviest.  In other words, from a white tea to a heavy black, from white chocolate to the darkest chocolate with the highest cacao content.  Take time to smell and savor each item.  Let them fully fill your mouth.  Contemplate the flavors.

You will want to clean the palate between each sample.  Consider having some plain crackers available.  (We use unsalted oyster crackers.)  Taste the tea, and then the chocolate and then the tea again.  Note how the taste of the tea has changed.  Note the general characteristics, the aromas, the flavors, the mouth feel.

Look for items that complement each other such as Assam, Masala Chai or Earl Grey and milk chocolate.  If the tea goes well with milk, (think lattes as well as the traditional tea with milk), it will probably pair with milk chocolate.

Matcha will also go well with milk chocolate or white chocolate.

For dark chocolate try Assam, Earl Grey, Oolong or Pu-erh.

Try to avoid overload.  If the tea is flavored, then consider a plain chocolate.  Likewise, if the chocolate is flavored, consider a plain tea.  A high grade tea also calls for a higher quality chocolate.

If you aren’t sure of what to pair, you might want to do a test run yourself before presenting it to the public.  There are also new trends in chocolates, such as chocolates with spices and floral notes.  Experiment.  It can be quite a little treat for you and your friends.

Social Teas

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Nov 20

Tea Pairing for Thanksgiving Dinner

by teaattheunicornwineguildllc

There are some simple rules for pairing tea with food.  Personal taste is number one.  Drink what you like.

Think about the meal.  What will be the dominate flavors?  Keep things in balance.  Neither the food nor the tea should overpower the other.

Tannins cleanse the palate and match well with fatty, rich foods.  Acidic foods go well with teas that tolerate acids such as lemons.  Just as milk and lemons don’t mix, neither does a milk-based food and an acidic tea.

Suggestions?  For that multi-course turkey dinner, My Pu-erh may be your perfect choice.  Other blacks such as My Irish Blend and Sunday Blend may suffice as well.

Ham instead?  Depending on how you prepare it, the same teas as suggested for turkey will be good, as would Almond Cookie and Autumn Leaves.

When it comes to the pumpkin pie, the obvious choice is My Pumpkin Pie with it’s cinnamon, pumpkin and spice.  Chocolate for dessert?  There’s Chocolate Strawberry Cake or Snow Flake, depending on what is served with the chocolate.  Maybe you tend to lean towards Mom’s apple pie.  Earl Grey Decaf might fill the bill.

Curling up to watch Christmas Story?  Try Holiday Dream.

Try experimenting.  You just might find a new favorite.

Tea

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Dec 11

Chocolate Icewine Truffles

by teaattheunicornwineguildllc

These truffles were featured in our advertisement  in the Parkersburg News and Sentinel 2009 Cookbook.  It is adapted from Chateau Chantal who adapted it from London Winery.  These truffles are easy to make, but they will need time to cool a couple of times, so start early or preferably the day before serving.

You will need:

1/3 cup whipping cream

1/2 pound semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

1/3 cup Magical Dreams (Unicorn Wine Guild’s Riesling wine in an ice wine style)

2 Tablespoons butter, softened

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1 teaspoon powdered sugar

Bring the cream to a boil, being careful not to scorch it.  Place chocolate in a bowl and add the milk.  Blend until the chocolate is melted, making a ganauche.  Add the Magical Dreams and allow to cool.  Beat in the butter.   (You can add the butter when the chocolate is warm the first time, but by allowing it to cool and then reheating, you temper the chocolate for a better product.)  Refrigerate until firm enough to handle.  Once cool, drop mixture by small spoonfuls into a shallow dish of cocoa powder sweetened with the sugar to taste.  Roll each truffle in the cocoa, rounding between the palms of the hand.  Dust hands with the cocoa if necessary to keep the truffles from sticking.  If the truffle mixture becomes too soft, return to the refrigerator to harden then continue making the truffles.  The completed truffles may be shaken gently in a strainer to remove excess cocoa, if desired.  Store in an airtight refrigerator for up to 10 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.  Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before serving to soften slightly.  Serve in a candy dish or place each truffle in a fluted paper cup.  Makes 3 dozen small truffles.

Hint:  To make a great topping for ice cream, make the ganache, add the butter while warm and serve warm over ice cream.

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