For Matt, being born and raised in Australia and having no real connection with modern China, tea has been a way for him to connect with and discover a part of his cultural heritage. And for Dawn, born and raised in southern China, tea has given her a chance to share a part of her culture in a more honest and authentic way with the world. To the Chinese, tea is an integral part of daily life and is considered one of life’s necessities. As such, it should be easily approachable and accessible.
“Tea” beverages here, there and everywhere
Being immersed in the world of tea over the last decade or so, Matt and Dawn have seen a number of tea-based beverages pop up and enter the market. Most of the ones that they try, after taking one sip, the first question that pops up is – where’s the tea? Typically with one of these beverages, they could taste the peach, the strawberries, blueberries, vanilla…whatever the flavour du jour may be. But where is the tea? The flavour of tea, the texture…anything that would have a passing resemblance to tea let alone a good or heaven forbid, a great tea.
Photo by Dannie Sorum on Unsplash
We want to capture and preserve this magic in every bottle of Junco sparkling tea and have it compliment the wine experience. To have the essence of the tea, its qualities, history and culture be distilled into every bottle and presented in a way that’s accessible for all Australians. A merging of cultures if you will.
Junco
Matt and Dawn met what seems like a lifetime ago while they both were young exchange students in Japan. Having a connection to both China and Japan, they wanted to find a name that not only spoke to this but also encapsulated our core philosophy.
The word “Jun” has a double meaning. In Chinese, it can mean outstanding or extraordinary (峻) and in Japanese it can mean genuine or pure (純). Put the two together and you have a brand that's “extraordinarily pure.” Add in “co” for company and you have the “Jun Company”, AKA Junco.
Extraordinarily Pure
We believe in keeping things extraordinarily pure, letting the tea speak for themselves. A lot of hard work goes into making great teas. Tea masters that have honed their skills over many years, applying their knowledge and experience to produce something divine. Who are we to mess around with it? All of the flavours come from the tea leaves themselves. Our job is to highlight and enhance the qualities of the tea and preserve them in every bottle.