[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”Piero Arrives” _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row admin_label=”Piero Arrives Title” _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” animation_style=”fade” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” header_3_font=”Raleway|500|||||||” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
Piero Cristiani, Cafe Imports\u2019 green buyer for nine (yes, nine!) countries, traveled to Caracas, Venezuela, on July 11 to attend the second annual EICEV 2023 expo, competition, and auction. The event was held at Ciculo Militar El Laguito Park and lasted the entire week. One look at the @eicev23<\/span><\/a> Instagram account, and you\u2019ll feel the bustling atmosphere of the international event. It was so busy, in fact, that it was extended a couple of days to get everyone through the doors. Nearly 200 booths, plenty of pop-up restaurants and food trucks, designated education areas, music, parties, and speakers all surrounded the anticipated competition. Like our Best Cup Competitions or the Cup of Excellence, producers submit lots to be cupped through multiple rounds, narrowing the field for the final day\u2019s auction.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”3_5,2_5″ admin_label=”The Cupping” _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” animation_style=”fade” animation_delay=”300ms” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”3_5″ _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text admin_label=”The Cupping” _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” header_3_font=”Raleway|500|||||||” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n 186 lots were submitted for pre-selection to EICEV, where coffees whose \u201ctasting score is equal to or greater than 84.00 points\u201d would advance. 85 lots qualified for the second \u201cNational Cupping\u201d round held on Monday, June 12. To advance from this round to finals, coffees must score 85.00 points or more. 48 coffees made the cut, marking a ~69% increase over last year\u2019s 15 qualifying lots. For Caf\u00e9 de Venezuela, this is an encouraging metric – the competition is gaining traction. That brings us to the final round \u2013 the \u201cInternational Round\u201d held on June 15. Certified tasters from 15 countries judged, including Piero, who spent the day tasting and scoring each lot, identifying the top 15 coffees that would be auctioned the following day.<\/p>\n At the auction, Piero sat on the front row bidder\u2019s panel alongside other international and domestic cuppers, green buyers, and roasters. The auctioneer and producer would stand on the stage before him, backdropped by a screen displaying their coffee\u2019s information. Behind Piero, the auction hall was overflowing with attendees. The crowd got louder as the bids went higher, and every sale was met with uproarious celebration.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”2_5″ _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/dev-cdn.cafeimports.com\/images\/ven.jpg” title_text=”ven” admin_label=”Piero Bid” _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”12px||||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_font_size=”10px” text_line_height=”1em” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Piero with the winning bid for Francisco Rosales’ washed Tabi.<\/em><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row admin_label=”The Coffees” _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” animation_style=”fade” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text admin_label=”The Coffees” _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” header_3_font=”Raleway|500|||||||” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n We\u2019re delighted to announce that Piero secured two lots: the 1st place washed-category offering (3rd overall) and the 3rd place anaerobic-category coffee (5th overall). The top washed coffee was a Tabi variety, produced by Francisco Jos\u00e9 Rosales, owner of hacienda La Alejandr\u00eda at 1600masl in the Bocon\u00f3 municipality of the Trujillo region. Piero scored this coffee at an astounding 90 points. Kelly Andrade produced a Catuai and Caturra anaerobic honey at her farm, La Curva, in the M\u00e9rida region. We\u2019ll be importing these 100lb lots with plans to partner with a roaster and sell them, donating the proceeds to a local charity or development organization in Venezuela.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_2,1_2″ admin_label=”Coffees Images” _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” animation_style=”fade” animation_delay=”700ms” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/dev-cdn.cafeimports.com\/images\/francisco.jpg” title_text=”francisco” admin_label=”3rd Place” _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/dev-cdn.cafeimports.com\/images\/Screenshot_20230731_151207_Instagram.jpg” title_text=”Screenshot_20230731_151207_Instagram” admin_label=”ECEIV Insta” _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”0px||||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_font_size=”10px” text_line_height=”1em” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Francisco Rosales’ 3rd Place announcement (left) and the top 3 finalists (right) <\/em><\/p>\n Photo Credit: EICEV<\/em><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row admin_label=”The Future” _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” animation_style=”fade” animation_delay=”300ms” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Venezuela” _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” header_3_font=”Raleway|500|||||||” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Venezuela has been an area of interest for Caf\u00e9 Imports over the last five years. We\u2019ve sampled coffees, met producers, and sought our chance to visit. Before EICEV, Piero was in touch with one of our producer friends in Venezuela to discuss this year\u2019s harvest, and he invited Piero to the competition. We were honored to attend, judge, bid, and ultimately see what Venezuela offers the industry.<\/p>\n This country has had little exposure to specialty coffee drinkers due to recent hardships. Venezuela has been called a petrostate<\/a>, facing economic collapse, unstable political autocracy, staggering inflation, and high migration numbers over the last decade. As for the coffee sector, two factors have kept exports low. First, President Hugo Chavez enacted policies in 2003 that fixed price limits on coffee to control inflation. Unfortunately, producers couldn\u2019t profit from their crops with these policies, drastically reducing production. Since then, these limits have loosened, but Venezuela is still recovering. Second, due to Italian cultural influence, Venezuela has a strong internal consumption market and a preference for espresso. Italian immigrants accounted for a quarter of Venezuela\u2019s population in the \u201880s, and approximately 16% of Venezuelans have some Italian ancestry today. Regardless, we attended a competition that clearly put the country\u2019s best producers center stage, and we will be returning to Venezuela seeking more coffee.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_2,1_2″ admin_label=”Closing” _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” animation_style=”fade” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/dev-cdn.cafeimports.com\/images\/venez.jpg” title_text=”venez” admin_label=”Piero+Francisco” _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Closing” _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”17px||||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Leading up to the event, Gabriel Gonzalez, EICEV Foundation president, told VTV (Venezolana de Televisi\u00f3n):<\/p>\n \u201cVenezuela has 65,000 coffee producers, spread over its 20 states, with a total of 133 coffee-growing municipalities, who give their best day by day, to produce an important item for Venezuelans and the world, who will proudly represent us in the [EICEV]\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n We believe this was achieved. Last year, we introduced two new countries to our offerings list, and we\u2019re excited to see Venezuela join those ranks. Piero is set to return to Venezuela next harvest, meet more producers, and source in volume. \u201c[Venezuela] can produce great coffee like its neighbors, Colombia and Peru, as it has high altitude and great varieties,”<\/em> he told Daily Coffee News<\/a>. As he saw at EICEV 2023, it also has the producers.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Cafe Imports Green Buyer Piero Cristiani judged and bid at EICEV 2023, bringing home the 1st place washed and 3rd place anaerobic lots.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":371,"featured_media":52545,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[429,428,336,418],"tags":[335,348,421,81,420,351,101,422,419,350],"class_list":["post-52534","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-announcements","category-news","category-progress","category-venezuela","tag-335","tag-anaerobic","tag-auction","tag-competition","tag-eicev","tag-honey","tag-microlot","tag-piero-cristiani","tag-venezuela","tag-washed"],"site_id":"1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dev.cafeimports.com\/north-america\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52534","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dev.cafeimports.com\/north-america\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dev.cafeimports.com\/north-america\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev.cafeimports.com\/north-america\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/371"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev.cafeimports.com\/north-america\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=52534"}],"version-history":[{"count":34,"href":"https:\/\/dev.cafeimports.com\/north-america\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52534\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":52594,"href":"https:\/\/dev.cafeimports.com\/north-america\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52534\/revisions\/52594"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev.cafeimports.com\/north-america\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/52545"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dev.cafeimports.com\/north-america\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=52534"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev.cafeimports.com\/north-america\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=52534"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev.cafeimports.com\/north-america\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=52534"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}The Cupping and the Competition<\/h3>\n
The Coffees<\/h3>\n
The Future of Caf\u00e9 Imports and Venezuelan Specialty<\/h3>\n
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