Saicho Sparkling Tea – the non-alcoholic option getting sommeliers excited

Saicho Sparkling Teas. Photo by Johnny Stephens Photography.

As sommeliers look for inventive yet satisfying non-alcoholic pairings, Saicho offers an inspiring solution – and chefs are eagerly creating menus to complement these game-changing, single-origin sparkling teas. As the brand launches in New York, we talk to its founders and first global ambassador, Reeze Choi, about what makes Saicho different.

Partner story with Saicho.

“Creating exceptional non-alcoholic drinks pairings remains one of the most intriguing challenges in our industry,” reflects Reeze Choi, China's Best Sommelier 2025 and Saicho's newly appointed Brand Ambassador. “What makes it particularly complex is that we're essentially building a new framework from the ground up. The sommelier community is still in the early stages of exploring these alternatives and developing the expertise that will eventually make this practice standard.”

A brand born from purpose

After two years of careful development and sourcing, Charlie and Natalie Winkworth-Smith launched Saicho in 2020. The name honours the Buddhist monk who first brought tea to Japan in 805 – a fitting tribute for a brand dedicated to elevating tea's place in contemporary dining.

Like fine wine, Saicho's focused collection celebrates origin above all else. Each sparkling tea showcases the purity of its terroir and the nuanced flavours that emerge from specific growing conditions and traditional practices.

Saicho founders Natalie Chiu and Charlie Winkworth-Smith. Photo courtesy of Saicho.

The approach has resonated worldwide. Saicho now graces wine lists in 80 Michelin-starred restaurants across 18 countries, marking a significant shift in how the industry views non-alcoholic drinks. Where these products once sat, relegated, beside generic soft drinks, Saicho has earned a place in sparkling wine sections and on curated tasting flights.

This elevation reflects sommeliers’ growing need for premium options in the ever-expanding low- and no-alcohol category – tools that match their expertise and their guests’ expectations.

Recently, Saicho launched an ambitious collaborative series called ‘The Art of Pairing,’ working with acclaimed chefs including Chet Sharma (Bibi, London), Joris Rousseau (Feuille, Hong Kong), Luigi Troiano (Noi, Hong Kong) and Himanshu Saini (Tresind Studio, Dubai). These partnerships demonstrate how tea can seamlessly integrate into fine dining environments, complementing not just flavours and textures, but the stories and emotions that define exceptional cuisine.

The origin story

Charlie and Natalie met while both pursuing doctorates in Food Chemistry at the University of Nottingham. Their shared passion for culinary excellence soon revealed a glaring gap in fine dining: the lack of sophisticated non-alcoholic options that could match the complexity and ceremony of wine service.

“We’d be dining at incredible restaurants, but Nat was always left out of the pairing experience,” Charlie explains. “It became clear that, when wine isn’t an option, diners aren’t just missing great flavours – they’re excluded from an entire dimension of the meal. That disconnect inspired us to create something different.”

Drawing on Natalie’s Hong Kong heritage and deep understanding of tea culture, the couple recognised tea’s untapped potential when it comes to food pairing. “Natalie brought this deep knowledge about how teas could complement cuisine in ways we’d never seen properly explored in fine dining,” says Charlie. “That insight became the foundation for everything we’ve built.”

And so began their journey to source the world’s finest teas and transform them into something entirely new.

Mastering tea curation

“Sourcing is the heart of everything we do,” says Charlie. Saicho’s current collection showcases three distinct single origin teas: a fragrant Jasmine from China, a complex Darjeeling from India, and a rich Hojicha from Japan; a fourth, seasonal release will launch soon.

Each tea undergoes a meticulous 24-hour cold-brewing process, designed to extract subtle and delicate flavours. A touch of grape juice provides natural acidity and balance before the final carbonation step. Unlike fermented drinks such as kombucha, Saicho represents something even more elegant: exceptional tea, carefully crafted.

Bottled in the UK, these sparkling teas have found their way onto wine lists across 18 countries – from restaurants in China and Japan to establishments in Singapore, Dubai, Canada, and throughout Europe. This month marks Saicho’s anticipated US debut in New York.

Speaking the language of wine

“Sommeliers connect with what we’re doing because we’re not trying to replicate wine,” Charlie notes. “While de-alcoholized wines can feel like something’s been taken away, we’re offering something genuinely different – yet familiar. Tea has terroir, production methods, and sourcing stories. Sommeliers can apply the same vocabulary and passion they use for wine, but explore an entirely new category.”

This approach has resonated throughout the industry, with Saicho now appearing not just in non-alcoholic sections of drinks lists, but proudly featured alongside sparkling wines and on tasting flights.

The sommelier’s perspective

Reeze Choi brings impressive credentials to his role with Saicho. Star Wine List’s Hong Kong Ambassador since 2019 and a Master Sommelier candidate, he recently claimed the title of China’s Best Sommelier and will represent China at both the ASI Best Sommelier of Asia Pacific competition, later this year, and the ASI Best Sommelier of the World 2026; his third-place finish in the 2023 edition of the global contest made him the first Chinese candidate to reach its finals. Since joining Saicho as Brand Ambassador in April 2025, Reeze has been particularly impressed by the nuanced flavour profiles in their teas, which he notes provide significantly more pairing opportunities than most non-alcoholic alternatives.

Saicho Brand Ambassador, Reeze Choi. Photo courtesy of Saicho.

What distinguishes Saicho from other non-alcoholic options?

“Saicho teas function as the non-alcoholic equivalent of wine in terms of their layered complexity and balanced flavour dimensions. This sets them apart from other non-alcoholic beverages like amasake, juices, and kombucha, which typically showcase one dominant flavour note rather than the multifaceted profile you find in quality wines.”

How would you describe the collection?

“Each of the three teas offers something unique, but the Darjeeling has become my go-to for experimentation. Through extensive testing with different temperatures and glassware, I’ve found it reaches peak expression at 11°C, served in a red Burgundy glass – this combination maximizes both its aromatic complexity and generous palate presence. That said, I’m equally drawn to the Hojicha’s distinctive umami seaweed notes and nuttiness, and the Jasmine’s beautiful floral-fruit character with its subtle vanilla finish.”

What have you learned about tea in your role as Brand Ambassador so far?

“My relationship with tea was purely that of a casual drinker before this partnership. As a sommelier, I’ll admit my tea knowledge was quite limited. The tea world mirrors wine in its depth and complexity – mastering it requires the same dedication and study. My role with Saicho has opened fascinating doors into tea cultivation and brewing techniques.

“Two aspects deserve particular attention: brewing temperature precision and conscious consumerism. Temperature dramatically influences both flavour extraction and aromatic expression. Saicho’s cold-brewing method, for instance, draws out tannins and flavours gradually, creating a more delicate and refined final product than aggressive extraction methods.

“Regarding conscious consumption, my deeper dive into tea production through Saicho has reinforced how critical sustainability practices are for preserving the diversity we enjoy today – not just in tea, but across wine, coffee, chocolate, and other agricultural beverages. Saicho’s commitment is remarkable: supporting small-scale tea farms, incorporating up to 80% recycled materials in their packaging, and partnering with educational foundations to teach sustainability to future generations. As consumers, understanding where our money goes and what practices we’re supporting becomes increasingly important.”

‘The Art of Pairing’

Reeze is not the only sommelier to have been impressed by Saicho. The teas are featured on wine lists the world over, and now also star in carefully considered food pairings in ‘The Art of Pairing’ series. We list some of the combinations below, for inspiration.