Like the great wines of France are identified by where they are grown tea also displays characteristics of the region, climate and soil that the tea bushes have been grown. It is sometimes hard to believe that the same Camellia Sinensis or the tea bush produces teas with such different tastes and strengths.

The climate and the soil conditions of a region can have a dramatic effect on the final taste and aroma of the tea leaves. In addition to this, the way tea leaves are processed also affects the quality, strength and taste of the tea. So, we can see that there can be a significant number of different tasting tea leaves even from the same region.

Tea is grown in hilly areas which can be anywhere up to six thousand feet above sea level. The colder and higher it goes, the slower the growth of the tea bush. Even on the same tea estate the yield from different parts can taste different and will have a unique coloring. This is due to the difference in rainfall, drainage of water, the soil chemistry and the wind conditions that affect the area. In addition to all these, other surprising factors that affect the quality of tea and its final characteristics are the intermittent cloud cover and sunshine as well as the exposure that the particular slope gets.

As a rule, the higher the tea is grown, the thinner the body is and more concentrated the flavor will be. The amount of tea leaves that can be harvested per bush each season also differs significantly according to the country and area that it is produced in. The leaf size and thickness of the shoots also change according to the climate and other conditions of growth. Studies have shown how climatic changes are impacting the tea estates in Kenya and now as a result the tea producers are trying to adapt to the changes in a bid to save the tea industry there. The rainfall impacting the tea trade can be seen clearly in Sri Lanka where the tea growing regions experience rainfall from two monsoon seasons even though it has a rain shadow brought on due to the mountain massif. This is similar to what is seen in the western ghats of South India and how it is deprived of rains from the monsoon winds. Rainfall can be categorized into three types. They are delayed rainfall, reduced rainfall and destructive rainfall and all these have devastating effects upon the growth and harvesting of the tea plants.

Darjeeling tea is one good example of climate has made a very distinct and high quality tea. Yet, not every year yields an excellent crop although when it does, it is simply spectacular and can never be replaced with any other tea in the world. This is primarily due to the climatic conditions under which the Darjeeling tea is grown. The steep slopes and the higher elevation ensure a dark and glossy green leaf which is often covered with silvery down. Darjeeling teas are plucked from different sections of the same garden and then processed, invoiced and then auctioned separately thus keeping their recognizable uniqueness intact. This is the result of changes affecting the quality of the tea produced from the same plot from day to day, week to week and even different times of the same day. Discerning consumers recognize these teas by flush, garden name and even from each invoice number. Darjeeling tea can be seen traded at more than $500 per kilo and are often snapped up instantly.