snip

Tea and wine both produce a wide
range of flavors and experiences, but wine can be accessed simply by
pulling a cork - there is no need to sweat things like water
temperature, timing, amount of leaf, kind of pot, kind of water ...
think of the guy in 'Sideways' drinking his best bottle out of a
styrofoam cup in a fast-food restaurant.

That's just the point (or one of them): Those little
tea rituals are relaxing, and part of the experience.
They're easy, and they enrich. That's why cigarette
smoking is a filthy dirty unnecessary habit, but pipe
smoking is a sacred trust.

I don't know about the richer history, either. Oolong, for instance,
is really only 200 years old. Many of the well-known vinyards in
Europe were planted by the Romans and have been in continuous
production for 2000 years. Furthermore, wine is a social lubricant and
relaxant, and tea makes people hyper. I personally appreciate a good
chazui (like the one I am having now) as much or more than being drunk
with my friends, but it was not always thus.

Tea eens are relaxing, me thinks. As for the
Romans, it's not a contest after all. I just think
tea's the thing. Swirl wine in your glass and look
at the legs: Pretentious. turn the tea cup so as
to appreciate the subtle hues: Sensitive. I have
spoken.

Michael

But, I appreciate your enthusiasm.

I appreciate all your collective enthusiasms!

Trying to fine-tune my Wuyi technique

It's quite a trick, in my view; getting WuYi
right is no easy task. Let us know where
you land with this, please.