Tea Sensory Workshop in Darjeeling

Seeking to educate and empower the next generation of tea professionals, Gorkha growers are organizing a certified tea sommelier and tea sensory training workshop in Darjeeling. The week-long training sessions, timed to the first-flush harvest, begins Sunday, Apr. 29 through Saturday May 5, 2018 at Gomtee Tea Garden and Margarets Hope Tea Garden in the heart of the Darjeeling growing region. Organizers Raju Lama and Carine Baudry, working in cooperation with the Goodricke Tea company, are hosting the program, which is endorsed by the Tea Board of India and complies with sommelier and sensory certification guidelines. Lama, a Darjeeling native, and La QunitEssence instructor and tea expert Carine Baudry will conduct the training.

The course is limited to 10 participants and stresses hands-on tea-making and sensory evaluation. The program is the first of its kind, says Lama, and will not only introduce professionals to the remarkable teas of this region, it will introduce local growers to international tea enthusiasts and buyers. He outlined a collegial learning opportunity where participants “share their experiences, teach, interact, and mingle with fellow participants, the local tea community, and tea professionals in Darjeeling.” The fee for the workshop is $2,556 (EURO €2,058) and includes transport to and from Bagdogra Airport in West Bengal. Register at Eventbrite or email Raju Lama for details.