Spotlight | A Frigid Toronto Tea Festival Creates Warm Ties

The Toronto Tea Festival, one of the fastest-growing tea gatherings in North America, convenes annually during the Chinese New Year celebration – by design. This year’s event is from 10 am to 5 pm at the Toronto Reference Library on Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 1-2. Tickets are available at the door.Founder Tao Wu and his sister Mingzhu Gao, who manages the event, consider the more than 4,000 attendees family guests.Wu, 41, grew up in Wuyishan, China, a region famous for its oolong tea. He remembers fondly the traditional gatherings of families who spared no expense to be together for the Lunar New Year. Since 2013, he has shared his vision with the support of The Tea Guild of Canada volunteers.Tao joins us today to discuss this year’s event: A Journey Through Terroir.BIO: Tao Wu, a second-generation tea trader, arrived in Canada in 2007 after working in mainland China with his father and uncle, a tea exporter. He traveled to many different tea regions during his youth to learn about tea. He founded Tao Tea Leaf in 2009, an award-winning, full-service tea retail store and wholesaler in the fashionable Yorkville area of Toronto. Known best for an extensive selection of over 180 teas. His specialty is loose-leaf Chinese teas, and he also stocks teas from Japan, India, South America, and Africa with an extensive line of USDA-certified Organic teas. Tao is a graduate of George Brown College and is a certified sommelier.Signup www.tea-biz.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy