If you're looking for more stories from Suzy, don't miss her take on tea through a Millennial and Gen Z lens.
The perception of tea as a stodgy, simple drink without any sophistication is thankfully changing. Consumers, especially in the US, are realizing that tea has true value and deserves a place amongst other valued beverages, like wine.
Suzy Badaracco, president of Culinary Tides, Inc., imagines a fictional conversation between tea and wine in which they find out they have more in common than they think.
INT. ARTISAN TEA HOUSE WITH A WINE BAR TWIST – LATE AFTERNOON
Sunlight spills through large glass windows onto reclaimed wood floors. A modern hybrid café with minimalist decor, lush plants, soft lighting, and shelves brim with small-batch tea tins and curated bottles of wine.
At the heart of this elegant hybrid café, two figures meet.
TEA, dressed in layered linens, serene and radiant. A porcelain teacup steams in front of her.
WINE, sharp and bold, in a burgundy blazer with a glass of red swirling between her fingers.
(They clink cup to glass — a delicate chime between centuries of tradition.)
________________________________________
ACT I – ORIGIN STORIES & VALUE PROPOSITIONS
WINE
(raising glass)
How are you? I heard you wanted to talk value.
TEA
Things are good, thanks. But not equal. I see how you’re valued — glass by glass, bottle by bottle. Meanwhile, I’m still seen as the cheap option. A sidekick. The afterthought. I’ve been thinking... maybe I’ve been underselling myself.
WINE
(sipping)
You know I’ve been through my own transformation. I wasn’t always revered. But now — provenance, aging, exclusivity — people respect the craft.
TEA
Exactly. And I’m asking: why not me?
WINE
(tilts glass thoughtfully)
Alright. Let’s examine this properly. Make your case.
________________________________________
ACT II – HEALTH, WELLNESS, AND THE CULT OF FUNCTIONALITY
TEA
Let’s start with what’s inside the cup. You bring warmth, boldness, and celebration. I bring antioxidants, anti-inflammatories, and calm. I'm adaptogenic and non-intoxicating.
WINE
People say I’m heart-healthy in moderation.
TEA
(smiles)
I’m heart-healthy without a warning label. I soothe digestion, lower cortisol, support sleep, and improve skin. I’m in creams, bath products, and even collagen elixirs.
WINE
You’ve made it into the beauty aisle?
TEA
And wellness clinics, spa menus, stress-relief drinks. I’m not just a beverage — I’m a daily ritual of care. And you can sip me at 10am and not get fired.
WINE
(grinning)
Fair point.
________________________________________
ACT III – SUSTAINABILITY & SINGULARITY
WINE
Alright, production. Let’s talk sustainability. Grapes are sensitive, terroir-driven, and seasonal.
TEA
And I’m a masterclass in efficiency. All six of me — green, black, white, oolong, yellow, and pu-erh — come from a single plant: Camellia sinensis. One plant, infinite expressions.
WINE
That’s like me having pinot noir, cabernet, and syrah all grow from the same vine.
TEA
Exactly. And I grow in biodiverse ecosystems, often hand-harvested, with minimal processing and water needs. I don’t ferment unless I choose to — pu-erh style.
WINE
(nods, impressed)
You're humble, but wildly efficient.
________________________________________
ACT IV – FLAVOR PROFILES & ARTISTRY
WINE
Let’s not forget artistry. I’m judged by body, nose, mouthfeel, and finish.
TEA
You think I’m not?
- Green: bright, grassy, steamed
- Oolong: anywhere from floral to stone fruit
- Black: bold, malty, brisk
- White: delicate and sweet
- Yellow: rare, slow-oxidized, buttery
- Pu-erh: earthy, fermented, aged like you
WINE
(drawing back)
You age too?
TEA
Some pu-erhs age for decades. And jasmine? I don’t add flavor — I absorb it. Blossoms open overnight and infuse me with fragrance. That’s not chemistry. That’s poetry.
WINE
(laughs softly)
You’ve got my respect.
________________________________________
ACT V – CULTURAL RANGE & GLOBAL PRESENCE
TEA
You’re the toast of the West. But I’m the soul of the East. I’m served in Tibetan monasteries, Moroccan homes, Japanese tea ceremonies, and on Indian street corners.
WINE
(sips)
I have sommeliers and vineyards. You have monks and medicine.
TEA
Exactly. And today, I’ve crossed oceans. Matcha is mainstream. Bubble tea lines wrap around city blocks. RTD tea tonics, adaptogenic blends, tea cocktails — I’m not just global, I’m modern.
WINE
But do people pay for you?
________________________________________
ACT VI – THE PRICE PROBLEM
TEA
And there it is. The elephant in the room.
People expect me to be cheap. $3 a cup. But they’ll pay $16 for a glass of you at a bar — with fewer health benefits, served in the same glass for 15 years.
WINE
(chuckles)
Ouch.
TEA
You arrive finished. I require precision: temperature, steep time, grams per cup. My performance depends on the audience.
WINE
Yet I’m seen as refined, and you're seen as... basic.
TEA
Let’s run the math. If we priced me like you, a tin of loose-leaf tea would cost $90. But instead, it’s $15 — maybe $20 if I’m lucky. And I steep 30 cups.
WINE
People pay for the story. The exclusivity. The ritual.
TEA
Then it’s time I start telling mine louder.
WINE
You’re everything to everyone.
TEA
(smiling)
Exactly. And with all that — wellness, sustainability, global heritage, flavor diversity — shouldn’t I cost more?
WINE
(sips thoughtfully)
Maybe it’s time you told your story the way I’ve told mine.
________________________________________
ACT VII – VERSATILITY & INNOVATION
WINE
Still... I have social cachet. Date nights, fine dining, even collectors. You?
TEA
I flex. Hot, iced, sparkling. I show up in mocktails, in non-alcoholic aperitifs, kombuchas, mixology, even food recipes and the RTD cans on shelves next to you. You can’t jump between alcohol and non — I can. 60% of the world drinks me every day. From matcha ceremonies in Japan to chai stalls in Mumbai. And I play across categories.
WINE
And yet you’re rarely the main event.
TEA
Not yet. But I’m working on it.
________________________________________
ACT VIII – THE SHIFT BEGINS
WINE
You’ve made your case. So what’s next?
TEA
We shift the conversation. Stop selling tea like a sidekick. Lean into luxury, origin stories, varietals, craftsmanship. Embrace pricing that honors the ritual, the culture, the experience.
WINE
People love ceremony. Candles. Quiet. Connection.
TEA
Exactly. Tea is introspection. Presence. Restoration. That’s not a $2 moment. That’s priceless.
WINE
(smiles)
To your future, then. Steeped in value.
They clink glasses — porcelain to crystal.
________________________________________
FADE OUT.
TEXT ON SCREEN:
Tea isn’t the underdog. It’s the underestimated hero. Tea doesn’t need to mimic wine. It just needs to step into its own complexity, culture, and quiet power. With centuries of culture, craftsmanship, and wellness in every cup — it’s time to price tea like the legend it is.
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