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November 16, 2010: Gift Giving for the Holiday Season
October 1, 2010: A Year in the Life of a Tea Merchant
August 13, 2010: A Year in the Life of a Tea Merchant
August 8, 2010: A Year in the Life of a Tea Merchant
July 30, 2010: A Year in the Life of a Tea Merchant
July 23, 2010: A Year in the Life of a Tea Merchant
April 29, 2010: Surprise Mom with a Gift She is Sure to Love!
March 19, 2010: East Wind Tea in Northshore Magazine
March 19, 2010: A Year in the Life of a Tea Merchant
February 5, 2010: A Year in the Life of a Tea Merchant
November 16, 2010
Dear Friend,
East Wind Tea Company is excited to offer a fresh idea in gift giving this holiday season. The gift of tea is unique, healthy, and will be welcomed by everyone.
Looking for exceptional gifts for your family or friends this year? East Wind Tea Company has a distinctive solution for you - a gift of tea that will be appreciated all year long.
For the past three years I have been working with two London-based tea companies to source only the finest loose-leaf teas from China, Japan, India, Korea, and Sri Lanka. Our East Wind Teas are carefully chosen to represent high-quality examples of black, green, and oolong teas, including Morning Blend, Earl Grey, Jasmine, and Chai to name just a few. My search for quality, rather than quantity, ensures that East Wind Teas are among the best available - further ensuring that your gift of tea will be recognized for its excellence.
In order to create our gift packages I sought out local companies to provide us with high-quality products to enhance the experience of East Wind's fine teas. My goal was not just to secure high-quality items to complement our teas, but to seek out companies that are based in the area to help support our local economy. As a result we are pleased to include honey from Crystal Bee Honey of Peabody, Kimball's Jams from Amesbury, hand-made cookies from Lark Fine Foods of Gloucester, and organic chocolate from Taza Chocolate of Somerville.
You are invited to explore our 2010 collection of tea gifts and accessories at our web site http://www.eastwindtea.com/gift_packages or visit us at 8 West Street in Beverly Farms. Shop our gifts, all priced under $100, or let us put together a custom gift package based on your budget.
I look forward to assisting you with your holiday gift needs.
With Very Best Wishes for the Holidays!
Cheers,
Curtis
P.S. Place you order now and we will ship it on the date you request.
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October 1, 2010
Dear Friend,
We have been busy at East Wind Tea recently — we've added two new outstanding teas to our list and we have expanded our retail space here at 8 West Street in Beverly Farms.
In response to requests from our customers we now stock excellent examples of two classic teas from India. Both are sourced from Postcard Teas, one of the two London-based tea companies from whom we obtain our teas.
Chai is a popular Kolkata spicy street beverage. Our Chai is a special blend of a fine Assam tea combined with cinnamon, cloves, ginger, cardamom, and bay leaves creating a rich and invigorating afternoon pick-me-up. Delicious to drink with milk or honey!
http://www.eastwindtea.com/product/chai
Darjeeling has been described as the Champagne of teas. It is grown and produced only in the Darjeeling district of mountainous West Bengal, India. Our Darjeeling is a blend of teas from Margaret's Hope and Giddapaha Estates in the famous Kurseong area of Darjeeling. Brew it to create a full-bodied, yet smooth and flavorful cup that you can drink with or without milk.
http://www.eastwindtea.com/product/darjeeling
Both teas can be purchased online or in our shop. Stock up today along with our other fine teas. If you have a question about our tea or need a little guidance, just give me a call -- I'll be glad to help! Please stop by our shop when you are in the neighborhood. I'd love to say hello!
Cheers,
Curtis
P.S. Keep us in mind for your Holiday gift-giving. More info coming shortly!
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August 13, 2010
Dear Friend,
A good friend recently sent me this excerpt from a novel called Little Bee by Chris Cleave. The speaker is a young Nigerian girl who is in England. She gives Proust a run for his money!
"Three weeks and five thousand miles on a tea ship - maybe if you scratch me you would still find that my skin smells of it. When they put me in the immigration detention center, they gave me a brown blanket and a white plastic cup of tea. And when I tasted it, all I wanted to do was to get back into the boat and go home again, to my country. Tea is the taste of my land; it is bitter and warm, strong, and sharp with memory.
It tastes of longing. It tastes of the distance between where you are and where you come from. Also it vanishes - the taste of it vanishes from your tongue while your lips are still hot from the cup. It disappears, like plantations stretching up into the mist. I have heard that your country drinks more tea than any other. How sad that must make you - like children who long for absent mothers. I am sorry."
Here's a link to a review of the book: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/17/books/review/Elkins-t.html
Hope you are enjoying the summer. We look forward to hearing from you, as always!
Cheers,
Curtis
P.S. East Wind Tea is now on Facebook! Check us out and sign up to receive special offers.
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August 8, 2010
Paris, Part Two
In early July, Cathy and I took a one day trip to Paris with the goal of visiting several tea shops, to get a sense of what was new or different on the local scene.
After spending the morning on the Left Bank I headed over to the Madeleine neighborhood on the Right Bank, using Jane Pettigrew's book Tea in the City: Paris to guide me.
My first stop was Chajin - La Maison du The Vert Japonais at 24 rue Pasquier. Located on a quiet street two blocks from the Madeleine, Chajin specializes in Japanese teas only. Entering the shop, which has a small seating area and counter, I was greeted cordially in English by the owner, Carol Negiar, an American. I learned that she carries only the finest Japanese green teas which she sources from contacts in Japan she has developed over many years. On another visit I would like to spend more time at Chajin sampling her excellent teas.
From Chajin I walked around the corner onto Boulevard Malesherbes to Number 28 where the Betjeman and Barton store is located. I had time for just a quick visit to check out the tea and tea ware on display.
Walking back to the Madeleine I met up with Cathy in front of Fauchon. After taking time to inspect the food and other goodies on display there, we strolled across the plaza to Hediard, where more treats were beautifully exhibited. Hediard is known for, among other gourmet items, its wide selection of teas. It's a great place to browse and imagine tasting one of each of the more than 100 choices.
After a busy day of trekking around Paris we took the Metro to Gare du Nord and the train back to London. While I was not able to see all the wonderful tea shops that are in Paris I felt I'd had a successful day nevertheless.
That simply leaves more to see and do another day.
We look forward to hearing from you, as always!
Cheers,
Curtis
P.S. East Wind Tea is now on Facebook! Check us out and sign up to receive special offers.
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July 30, 2010
Paris, Part One
During our stay in London in early July, we took a one day trip to Paris via the Eurostar through the Chunnel. Rolling through the French countryside on a beautiful summer morning is a real treat!
Upon arriving at Gare du Nord I headed off to Paris's Left Bank in search of Parisian tea shops. With Jane Pettigrew's book Tea in the City: Paris as my guide and my trusty map in hand I went looking for a tea shop I had visited previously at Tim's recommendation called Tch'a at 6 rue du Pont-de-Lodi. Sadly, it is closed on Mondays so I was not able to revisit this wonderful small tea shop. Tch'a features quality Chinese teas and I had hoped to purchase a resupply of the Baozhong (Pouchong) I'd bought there two years ago. Maybe next time - a good reason to return to Paris!
My next stop was a quick visit to a branch of Mariage Freres. They stock a huge number of teas (more than 500!) and tea wares at their shops. It's always fun to spend a few minutes looking over their tea list - there is something for everyone.
From Mariage I walked about 15 minutes through the narrow, crowded streets to la Maison de la Chine at 76 rue Bonaparte. Arriving at this attractive tea room I settled at one of their tables and ordered a pot of Pu-erh tea and a small orange pound cake for 13 euros. The Pu-erh came in a pot big enough to serve two people and the pound cake could have easily fed two as well. It was a welcome respite from the hot city streets. There is a restaurant upstairs from the tea room that would be worth trying on another visit.
The break helped recharge my batteries and it was time to head to the Madeleine to catch up with Cathy. More to follow.
We look forward to hearing from you, as always!
Cheers,
Curtis
P.S. East Wind Tea is now on Facebook! Check us out and sign up to receive special offers.
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July 23, 2010
Dear Friend,
London in July is much different than London in February or in the autumn. It's much more crowded - the streets are filled with tourists from all over the world and there is an urgency that you don't feel at other times of the year. I definitely prefer London in those other times.
Cathy and I spent 10 days in London at the beginning of July, with a one day side trip to Paris, as part of my Business Grant Award from British Airways. I took this time to visit with both Tim and Alex and to explore a few new teas to add to our list. After meeting with Alex we are in the process of obtaining a Long Jing tea and an aged Pu-Erh from China, and a sobacha from Japan. All are of very high quality and will be available to order shortly after Labor Day. I'll let you know when they are ready for sale.
Tim and I had a very good discussion about the importance of knowing where the tea comes from. Tim is an advocate of describing the source of his teas so his customers know where it was grown and in some cases who the farmer or tea master was. For more on Tim's philosophy see his new blog at www.singleestatetea.com. As Tim says, "Provenance is the key to quality tea", and I agree. Our new Chai and Darjeeling teas from Tim will be ready for sale in just a few weeks.
My day in Paris was filled with visiting several tea shops on both the Left Bank and the Right Bank. More about those visits in my next report.
We look forward to hearing from you, as always!
Cheers,
Curtis
P.S. East Wind Tea is now on Facebook! Check us out and sign up to receive special offers.
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April 29, 2010
Dear Friend,
Mother's Day is Sunday, May 9th. If you are still searching for the perfect gift at the right price, look no further. Surprise Mom with a gift she is sure to love!
From now until Mother's Day purchase a tea pot and two packages of tea and receive a 15% discount! Come to our retail location at 10 West Street in Beverly Farms, tell us you read about this offer, and we'll take 15% off of your purchase. Order on-line, mention it in the comment section, and we'll take the discount when we process your order.
Having trouble deciding which teas to purchase — we can help. We suggest our East Wind Morning Blend and the Green Jasmine tea as good choices to start. We have tea pots in several colors and sizes as well as our new clear glass 2-cup tea pots pictured above.
We look forward to hearing from you.
Cheers,
Curtis
P.S. East Wind Tea is now on Facebook! Check us out and sign up to receive special offers.
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March 19, 2010
Recently NorthShore Magazine sat down to a cup of tea with Curtis Vouwie of East Wind Tea...
Read the Complete Article
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March 19, 2010
My trip to London last month was a success by any measure. This was the first of my trips this year courtesy of the British Airways Business Grants Program.
I had an opportunity to spend quality time with my suppliers, Alex and Tim. Both were very generous in sharing their thoughts about tea and their travel experiences in China and Japan.
I was able to visit with my friend Alex Fraser of East Teas at the Borough Market where he sells his teas on Fridays and Saturdays. He's recently moved into the Jubilee Market area at the Borough Market, which is located on the south side of the River Thames and is near the Tate Modern Museum and the London Bridge tube station. The Market is where I first met Alex, in May 2006.
On most days the Market is bustling with wholesale merchants selling fresh fruits and vegetables as well as meats and fish. On Fridays and Saturdays it expands to feature many smaller growers and purveyors of everything from freshly baked artisanal breads to fancy chocolates to cheeses. There are vendors selling sandwiches and prepared meals featuring cuisines from around the world.
Alex has been manning the East Teas stall for nearly ten years now. From there he sells his high quality teas from China, Japan, and Taiwan - many of the same teas we exclusively sell here at East Wind Tea. He also has a wide selection of tea ware for sale featuring many beautiful pieces from Korea.
Alex's many customers come to him for advice about which teas to purchase and for general all-around camaraderie.
I am honored to be able to consult with Alex and get his valuable guidance on all matters related to tea, especially tea preparation and tea selection. As a result of our discussions we will be adding a Pu-erh tea and Matcha tea to our list. Matcha is great for cooking and is the stuff that makes green tea ice cream so tasty.
In addition, Alex is trained in the Japanese tea ceremony which adds to his vast knowledge of the many tea traditions. If you are ever in London you should plan a visit to see Alex at the Market.
Tim and I spent several afternoons at his shop in Mayfair discussing his teas. He invited me to attend a tasting session on Saturday morning - more about this in my next dispatch.
Cheers,
Curtis
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February 5, 2010
The phone rang at about 5:30 on a Friday afternoon in mid-December. Cathy and I were just going over a few last-minute details before we headed home.
"East Wind Tea, may I help you?"
"Hello, this is Ann calling from British Airways' marketing department. Is this Curtis?" she asked.
"Speaking."
"Several months ago you entered a contest sponsored by BA and I'm calling to tell you that you won!"
"You're kidding!" You have to understand that I never win anything. If it weren't for bad luck, I wouldn't have any luck at all. I have trouble winning at Solitaire. Yet, here she was calling to tell me that I was a winner.
Months earlier, back in September, I had submitted an entry in BA's "Business Opportunities Grant" contest based on their Face-to-Face promotion. The idea was that some business objectives are better met by face-to-face meetings, rather than by any remote communication method. For my part I wanted to spend time with my two key suppliers in London learning more about the tea we sell and broaden my knowledge about tea in general.
The application required three short essays, no more than 500 words each, on the topics of our business goals for 2010, how the opportunity for travel would benefit us, and how face-to-face meetings would help us. You can't win if you don't try I said to myself. The main award was ten free business-class roundtrip tickets to anywhere in the world BA flies. That, plus $1000 towards accommodations at Marriott's Courtyard hotels, drew my attention. But the real attraction for me was the free airfare.
In one of the essays I stated that I would fly to London, where my two tea suppliers are based, and to the Far East to see first-hand how tea is grown and processed. China, Japan, and India were tops on my list. This will be the opportunity of a lifetime and I want to make the most of it.
I'm about to take my first trip next week - to London to see Alex at East Teas and Tim at Postcard Teas. I'll keep you posted on what I see and learn from them.
Cheers,
Curtis
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