For tea devotees, this little shop is the place to be

New York

AT age 15, Sophia Huang regularly drinks vintage teas that are older than she is. And she is always happy to share. "I'll bring my friends and teachers here, and once they try it, they get it," she said. "Tea can leave you feeling so happy from the inside out."

"Here" is Fang Gourmet Tea, a tiny shop that her family owns in the back of a mall on Roosevelt Avenue in Flushing, Queens. For 15 years, it has been the de facto gathering place for the New York region's most serious tea enthusiasts. And this season brings its premier event, for connoisseurs and novices alike: the annual Tea Tasting Expo.

For the expo, which began in 2009 and runs this year till Jan 7, the normally serene shop bustles as the staff trot out limited releases of Chinese and Taiwanese teas and teaware that draw drinkers from as far as California. Tastings cost as little as US$5,…