Today we’re going to reflect upon some vintage delights. So, in keeping with our vintage theme, I thought we would have an ol’ Aussie favorite.
A cup of Billy Tea & some freshly baked Damper with lashings of butter melting upon its deliciousness with Golden Syrup!
These are treats from the ol’ days, when the tea was made in the Billy, an old tin with a homemade handle fitted & able to go into the fire to boil water & a handful of tea leaves would be thrown in for a strong brew.
And the damper was baked in a cast iron cooking pot amongst the hot coals of the camp fire.
I’ll let you in on a little secret about myself, I love most things vintage!
I think they have great character & I love the history behind them.
What is the definition of Vintage?
The word actually comes from wine making.
It is the season/year in which the grapes were harvested from the vine, the Vine age of the grapes = Vintage.
The Vintage of the wine indicates the quality, age & environmental factors of that particular year that the grapes grew on the vine before they were harvested.
Our book club has had its first meeting for this year, we are still reading Beth Moore’s book Chasing Vines & have now reached the chapter where the harvest has begun.
This gave me much food for thought in what goes into our own personal Vintage!
How would you describe yourself if you were a wine?
I remember watching a movie where the leading lady was asked the above question to describe herself.
Her answer was the following; a bold wine with a hint of sophistication.
I’m not a connoisseur of wine, in fact I don’t drink it.
I don’t like the taste, never have, but I do appreciate the hard work & craft that goes into wine making.
From planting the vine to the final aged product in the bottle.
You see I’m more of a Tea connoisseur. Did you know that the Tea making process actually parallels wine making?
As the quality & taste of the tea is also dependent upon the environmental factors before the harvesting & aging process.
Growing tea
“Growing tea can be tricky. If the weather and ground conditions aren’t absolutely perfect, the tea plants struggle to grow properly and the tea they make is inferior in flavour. So growers do all they can to take care of their tea plants…
Growing tea takes a lot of love and attention too. They have to be pruned every 4−5 years – not just to make sure they stay fresh, but to make sure the ‘pluckers’ can reach the leaves.” Refer 2
Harvesting Tea leaves
“The system used for cutting the tea plants is called the ‘plucking table’. It involves pruning the plants to about waist height, with flat tops (like tables), so that the leaves are easy to reach when they’re ready to harvest.
Different places in the world have different seasons for plucking tea, when the tea leaves are at their finest and most flavoursome. These harvests are known as ‘flushes’…
And if you think plucking tea leaves is simple, think again. Tea pluckers have to know exactly when the leaves are ready, so that they only pick them when they’re tender and full of flavour.” Refer 2
Lady Grey Tea
Lady Grey is my favorite tea blend, it’s made with the finest tea leaves plucked in the mountains of Northern India & blended with dried orange & lemon peel.
I would describe it as a refined, light & refreshing blend with a hint of citrus!
Let’s look at that tea description & see if it applies to my life…
Jesus said, “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser (the cultivator). Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.”
John 15:1
So in relating this to my relationship with God through His Son, Jesus;
- I’m planted in His plantation,
- He monitors my growth through all the seasons making sure I am growing for the plucking of His purpose.
- He trims the branches that get over grown & applies aged organic compost for mulching (trials), that let’s be honest aren’t really appreciated at time until new growth is evident!
But it’s all necessary to produce stable & mature growth for the finest harvest.
He only plucks the finest shoots for His purpose for they give the greatest flavor for eternity.
You see it’s not only the harvest but the process that gives the finest flavor.
White tea are the tea leaves just dried without processing, it has a very delicate flavor.
For Green tea the leaves are aged & processed a little more which brings out a little more flavor.
But for the most robust of teas, Black tea, the leaves are aged & fermented the longest which give the strongest flavor & can be blended with other ingredients to make a variety of tea blends!
It’s the careful & loving monitoring of the great Cultivator that produces the finest leaf vintage from the maturing plant!
How then would I describe myself as a Tea blend?
Well, I’m feminine & love to be treated as a lady!
But I worked tirelessly in the sheep yards as a wool grower (that I once was) slopping around in sheep manure!
So, I can’t really describe myself as a refined blend but rather in the process of refinement.
I can be light hearted but I don’t shy away from the harder things in life either (which may be a legacy from my professional life).
I have been described as robust, although I always endeavor to leave a pleasant flavor behind!
However, that’s entirely dependent on the Other’s perception in how they perceive that flavoring!
I think I have to echo the leading lady’s description above when describing myself as a Tea; I’m a robust blend with a hint of fruity sophistication! Lol!
Maturing Process
While we don’t necessarily appreciate the trimming, fertilizing (trials) & the plucking (harvesting) at the time.
None the less, each process is necessary to produce the finest leaves/fruit for His eternal harvest.
It’s the finest quality leaves/fruit that give the most flavorsome & refreshing blends that linger in their influence for Him.
How would you describe yourself as either a wine, tea or coffee my friend? I’d love to hear it in the comments below.
Until next time,
Jennifer
You’re most welcome to join me in The Reading Nook
Or in Prayer
© 2021 Jennifer M. Ross, teawithjennifer.blog All Rights Reserved. Photo by Suzy Hazelwood on Pexels.com
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Hello fellow tea lover! So glad I found your blog. What a beautiful vintage image that first one is. Just beautiful. My favorite tea is Earl Grey when I need a robust tea, although I discovered a Lavender Earl Grey that I am loving right now. Lady Grey comes in a close second and your description of it is perfect.
Hi Angie!
Lovely to have you over for a cuppa, French Earl Grey sounds delicious. I’ve had French Lady Grey which was rather exotic but not French Earl Grey.
My next post has a new tea blend that I think you may find interesting 😉
So interesting and creative!
Thank you Lauren! 😀
We would enjoy tea together! My favorite tea is Tea Forte Orchid Vanilla Black Tea. I drink coffee when I need it to knock me awake – but I love tea when the day, though it might be busy, has a smooth quality to it – no jarring! I love the idea of vintaging – I’m quite taken with the idea of vintage the blessings of the past, a redeeming of them if you will – but more in an antiquing way! I so enjoyed this tea time with you! ~ Maryleigh
Thank you Maryleigh! I haven’t tried that tea yet, it sounds delicious. I like your thoughts here, “vintaging our blessings” gives me much food for thought. 😀
Jennifer, what a delightful post! I know a good deal about wine making, even tried my hand at it at one time! My roots are Italian, so wine making and cooking are pillars for me. However I adore tea, and knew absolutely nothing about the process, and learning here about it was enjoyable and gave me more appreciation for the blends I enjoy. Actually I’m a fan of Earl Grey tea more so than Lady Grey…hope that doesn’t speak too much about my personality! But your analogy of God as the vinedresser and all He does in our lives that we might bear fruit and that our fruit would remain greatly blessed me. Thank you!!
You have a rich heritage Donna! Mine is Celtic! Thus the strawberry blonde hair (now white) & my fair skin 😀
Earl Grey used to be my all time favorite but over the last year Lady Grey has become my top choice!
I’m glad you enjoyed our time my friend it’s always lovely to have a cuppa & reflection upon our great cultivator together! 😀
Thank you for this beautifully written and thoughtful post. We have been working in our garden all day pruning and cleaning out the dead. The pruning will cause growth and the blooms will be showier and more beautiful. Just like when the Lord prunes us to grow us! Have a wonderful weekend, Jennifer 🤗
Thank you Pam! As you get ready for your spring we are about to enter our autumn & the chill is already in the air. Your garden is always inspiring in every season. Enjoy your weekend sweet friend! ♥
I liked reading about the tea growing process and how you relate it to spiritual growth. I loved your description of yourself as a blend of tea too! I’ve heard good things about Chasing Vines and I’m hoping to read it soon.
Thank you Lesley! It’s been an interesting read, one that provides plenty of time for reflection. 😀
I learned a lot about tea cultivation and production from reading this post, Jennifer. Thank you for teaching me something I knew little about. I am mostly a coffee drinker, but Earl Gray is my favorite tea. Praying that I may be pruned to bear more fruit! Blessings!!!
You’re welcome Laurie! It’s a fascinating process & plucking is one thing that cannot be mechanized. Blessings to you! 😀
This is interesting, Jennifer. I didn’t realize the importance of pruning and processing in tea plants. I love how you compare it with our spiritual growth. Thank you for this encouraging insight. Love and blessings to you!
Thank you Trudy, I can relate to the process spiritually & thought others may too. Love & blessings to you my friend! 😀
Smiles. Love how you linked the process of growing a tea to how we are with the vinedresser – God!.
We are being pruned to be better – taste better and produce a sweet smelling savour unto Him. 🙌
Thank you Herry! That we are! 😀
What a delightful metaphor and journey. In reading this post I could not help but wonder if you have a copy of Margaret Feinberg’s book on your shelf – Scouting the Divine:My Search for God in Wine, Wool, and Wild Honey. It is one of my favorites and I think you would love it and it would expand your reflection here as well.
Thank you Pam! No I don’t have that book nor have I come across it until you mentioning it. I I’ll look it up! 😀