1 in 8700: John Wetzel of Stone Leaf Tea

John Wetzel, founder of Stone Leaf Teahouse in downtown Middlebury views tea as more than just a drink. Rather, it is a way of connecting people.

“It’s history, it’s culture, it’s modern society,” Wetzel said.

Wetzel had not truly tasted tea until he worked on a fishing boat after he graduated college. Sure, he had drank “tea” before in his life, but the ship’s captain informed him that his mass-produced bagged tea was not real tea. It was an imposter.

He introduced Wetzel to an Oolong variety of the rural Yunan region, China. Its sweet scent inspired Wetzel’s career.

Wetzel worked a series of jobs in construction and outdoor education, maintaining a fervent curiosity with tea all the while.

Years later, Wetzel rode a motor-scooter across the Central Highlands of Taiwan, visiting various tea growers. It was this experience that prompted him to open his very own tea shop.

“The hardest thing is buying the plane ticket,” said Wetzel, “That’s the analogy, taking that one leap when you’re not coming back,” referencing his signing the shop’s lease in 2009.

He remembers customers asking him behind the counter, during the store’s infant stages, whether he believed it could succeed. 2009, a year after the recession’s height, was a difficult time to open a business. Wetzel attributes his success to perseverance and to doing his homework.

He has traveled to India, China, Taiwan, Japan and elsewhere, finding suppliers for the shop. Two specific experiences he recalls with great joy include visiting the traditional Dai tribesmen in China harvesting tea leaves, as well as exploring an industrial tea complex in Japan.

To Wetzel, the economic component comes second to honing his craft.

“Making money is not the focal point,” said Wetzel  “It’s my study, so that’s the focal point.”

The Stone Leaf Teahouse provides sustainably grown teas from China, Japan, Taiwan, India and Nepal. Each tea’s detailed description demonstrates an exceptional expertise, yet Wetzel humbly insists that making tasty tea requires no special knowledge.

Wetzel tells his customers, “The right way to make tea is how you like it.”

He sees his role bringing teas from across the globe to Middlebury as part of a larger operation.

“The reality of the world is we are connected,” said Wetzel. “We’re still breathing the same air and seeing the same moon and this is our way of sharing that connection.”