France is appreciated for its gastronomic food, best wines and impressive castles. Whatever they do, they do it with style too (most of the time).

The highlight of my trip to the Loire region was visiting the 16th-century Château de Chenonceau. This castle will strike you with its architecture, and more so because it spans over the river Cher creating a bridge from shore to shore. And the cherry on top for me was tea time in the tea house of the Orangery.

Just like the castle, the tea experience made me feel like in a fairy tale. Presented with a specially designed cup and a pyramid tea infuser, I indulged myself into this unique tea experience followed by a plate of gourmet desserts. All I missed was one of those Renaissance style dresses!

“Tea Forté” which is an American luxurious tea brand is sold at fine places and occasions. Their signature handcrafted pyramid infuser with the leaf on top is impossible to mistake. The innovative teacup with a lid perfectly showcases the leaf of the infuser and can be used as a saucer. They say that the idea of this cup topped with a lid came from traditional Gaiwan cups used in China.

From the signature tea bag to the innovative teacup, all of this invites for an exceptional tea experience.

How do you like it?