Plantations & Vineyards

Speakers: James Tidwell & Shabnam Weber

Saying tea and wine are similar is one thing, but understanding it is another. Join Master Wine Sommelier James Tidwell and THAC president Shabnam Weber in a discussion about what the statement 'tea and wine have so much in common' actually means. Learn about terroir, flavour profiles and pairings.

Speaker Bios:

James Tidwell is a Master Wine Sommelier and the Co-Owner and Producer of the TEXSOM International Wine Awards. In addition to his work with TEXSOM, Tidwell is the Master Sommelier at the Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. Thanks in large part to Tidwell’s management, the hotel has been nominated five times for a James Beard Foundation Award for Outstanding Beverage Program.

Shabnam Weber has spent the last twenty years in the tea business as an entrepreneur. As owner of a specialty tea company, a tea school and a Director on the Board of the Tea and Herbal Association of Canada, she has a unique perspective on multiple angles of the tea business. She is the author of THAC’s well known and recognized Tea Sommelier® program and a big driver in both consumer and industry education. Shabnam values the diversity offered by all parts of the tea industry, both in Canada and beyond and focuses always on the bigger picture. Shabnam is a graduate of the University of Toronto with an Honours degree in Political Science and she also holds a post-graduate diploma in Psychology.