Our Team
Richard Hood - Founder, Importer & Managing Director of Gargantuan TEA
I have always enjoyed a good cup of tea.
I was born in 1972, in San Diego, California. After successfully studying molecular biology locally for my undergraduate degree, I was told by a friend how UC Davis had a food and wine program, and that one of us should consider enrolling. Without further thought I uttered, “I’ll do it.” In the fall of 1996, I followed through on my intention by entering the now relatively famous wine program. In 1998 I graduated with a MS in Food Science, specializing in Enology (Winemaking).
For many years I have worked in the wine industry, benefiting from experience at both large and small operations. The ability to have sourced fruit from many viticultural areas, spanning multiple states, has certainly sharpened my palate through exposure to a vast range of resultant wine styles. In 2010 I relocated from Sonoma County, California to eastern Washington State for new winemaking opportunities, drawn by the relative youth of the industry. Currently I reside in Vancouver, WA, within the greater Portland metropolitan area, where I continue to provide comprehensive wine consulting for a select few (Indefatigable Wine).
It may sound strange, but my career in winemaking has prepared me handsomely for tea. Tea and wine do share much in common. They both offer a rich, nuanced complexity in an endless array of beverage offerings. They also share common constituents in each of their respective drinks; as well they might, as they further share commonalities in plant propagation, horticulture, harvest, and in production (including analogous fermentation and aging routines).
Through the years I became more and more enamored by tea. It shifted status from mere curiosity to my primary passion. In addition to endless hours of self-study, I was able to strike a connection with Akira Hojo, of HOJO Tea in 2019. Akira has since become an invaluable resource for me in my quest for greater tea knowledge. As mentor, and now as business collaborator he is truly generous. We find ourselves with the good fortune to offer the United States tea market something exceedingly rare, if not outright non-existent. …Focusing exclusively on tea so good, it has up until now never been exported as there was no need to look very far for willing buyers.
While my tea expertise is by no means completely polished, one asset I have is a well-developed palate for assessing tea characteristics. This, along with my food and beverage background allows me to identify premium tea selections and maintain them favorably for market. My studies continue as I strive to become more well versed. You are invited to join me in the ongoing discovery.
In the best tea I find a deep wellspring of potential. I experience solace holding a cup in hand, knowing that such tea is nourishing soil for humanity’s best virtues. Tea offers health, vitality, clarity, inspiration, and more. It opens a path to rejuvenation both as a true tonic, and as a vehicle that begets thoughtful discovery.