Nilgiri

　　Nil means Blue, and giri means Mountains, therefore Nilgiri is blue mountain. This is an area of sweeping grasslands, dense jungles, home to herds of Indian leopards, sloth bears, bisons, wild boars and endangerd elephants. It’s also one of the few remaining natural habitats for Bengal tigers. The Nilgiri mountains rise to a height of 8,500 feet and receive an incredible 80 inches of rain each year.

　　Tea production began in 1840, and today there are more than 60,000 acres under cultivation.

　　Nilgiri also produces a rare type of tea, known as a “frost tea”, where the leaves are harvested in the winter and are offered only in extremely limited quantity. The quick chilling creates a concentrated sweet and rosy flavor in the leaves, very similar to what you would find in an “ice wine.”