Saicho sparkling tea: where tea and gastronomy come together

What if tea could play the same role at the table as wine? With that thought, the story of Saicho began. Founders Charlie and Natalie Winkworth-Smith noticed a striking similarity: just like wine, tea has all it takes to be a complex, gastronomic beverage. It has origin, terroir, flavor variation, and even the potential to enhance dishes.

Yet, tea was rarely approached in that way.

A New Perspective on Tea

According to the founders, that was a shame. While wine claimed its spot at the table in Europe, tea remained mostly viewed as a simple warm beverage. But tea, just like wine, can indeed have enormous depth.

Think of:

• floral and light styles
• deep, complex, and earthy flavors
• subtle differences per region and harvest

It was precisely these attributes that inspired Charlie and Natalie with an idea: what if you develop tea with the same care and positioning as wine?

From Idea to Saicho

That idea evolved into Saicho: a sparkling tea specially developed for gastronomy. Instead of viewing tea as a basis for a simple drink, they chose an approach similar to wine:

• working with single-origin tea
• focus on terroir and origin
• balance, structure, and complexity at the center

Each tea is selected from specific regions, such as Darjeeling, Fujian, and Shizuoka, where the origin is directly evident in the final product. The tea is then cold extracted for 24 hours and made lightly sparkling, resulting in a refined, fresh, and gastronomic style.

Tea as a Full-Fledged Alternative at the Table

With Saicho, the founders aimed to create more than just a non-alcoholic beverage. Their goal was to give tea a serious place at the table, alongside wine.

A drink that:

• fits within fine dining
• can be used for food pairing
• offers the same experience as a good glass of wine

That vision has proven successful. Saicho is now served worldwide in top restaurants and Michelin-star establishments, where it is used as a full-fledged part of the menu. 

A New Standard for Modern Gastronomy

The success of Saicho demonstrates that the boundary between wine and tea is smaller than thought. By examining what these worlds have in common, a new product and even a new category emerged. A drink that combines the refinement of tea with the experience of wine.

And perhaps more importantly: a product that perfectly meets the growing demand for high-quality, non-alcoholic alternatives.