You think growing grapes on the maritime lashed Wine Islands is tricky? What about tea leaves? Never say never to Victor Vesely and Margit Nellemann, owner/operators of Cowichan Valley’s Tea Farm. A few years ago they planted 200 uncovered tea plants, and are hopeful to produce their own Cowichan tea in a year or two when the plants are mature. Their organic farm north of Duncan, BC, features two terraces with of Camellia sinensis, strategically planted on their 11-acre property.
While waiting for the plants to grow and strengthen, the duo has created 23 original recipe hand-crafted teas and herbal infusions, including 12 inspired by the Chinese Zodiac. My sign is the Horse Tea, which thankfully tastes nothing like my year’s namesake. It’s a calming and contemplative sipper of lemongrass, stinging nettle, red clover, tila, elder flowers, rose petals, stevia—just the thing to tide me over until my first taste of Cowichan tea.
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