SÃO PAULO, Brazil – Minas Gerais (Brazil) demonstrated the excellence of its specialty coffees at the 26th Ernesto Illy Award for Quality Coffee for Espresso.
Arabica beans from three different regions within the state were recognized as the best of the 2016/2017 crop by the illycaffè prize, which elected CBI Agropecuária, from Chapada de Minas; Juliana Armelin, from Cerrado Mineiro and Rafael Marques de Araújo, from Matas de Minas as champions in the national producers’ category.
The three winners will compete for the 2nd International Ernesto Illy Coffee Quality Award for Espresso, in October, in New York (NY).
The international award will bring together 27 representatives from the best producers of high-quality espresso beans, from 9 coffee producing countries, in an initiative stimulated by the success and tradition of the Ernesto Illy Prize, which has revolutionized the Brazilian coffee production.
Winner of the 25th edition, Juliana, owner of the Terra Alta plantation in Ibiá, was once again recognized as one of the producers of the best coffees in the country, now in its second year supplying coffee for illycaffè. Rafael, from the Córrego da Serra plantation in Manhuaçu and CBI Agropecuária from Fazenda Tecad, in Minas Novas, were also among the winners, as first-time participants in the competition.
The award ceremony, held in the Villa Vérico hall in São Paulo, was attended by Andrea Illy, president of illycaffè, and other representatives of the company. They presented the coffee growers with the award diplomas and cheques for R$ 10,000 each. The Italian roaster awarded, in total, more than R$ 100,000 in prizes.
illycaffè also revealed the winners from eight regions (complete list below), who took the stage to receive their prizes. Furthermore, the merit award for Sustainable Supplier of the Year was awarded to Elias Koji Okuyama (Cerrado Mineiro) and the awards for Classifier of the Year went to João de Medeiros Neto (1st place, South of Minas), Marcos Ribeiro Vasconcelos (2nd place, Cerrado Mineiro) and Jandir Castro Filho (3rd place, São Paulo).
Midwest
Winner: Álvaro Luiz Orioli (Goiás, Brazil)
Runner-up: Gelci Zancanaro (Goiás, Brazil)
Cerrado Mineiro
Winner: Juliana Tytko Armelin
Runner-up: Marcos Cezar Miaki
Chapada de Minas
Winner: CBI Agropecuária
Runner-up: Luiz Augusto Monguilod
Matas de Minas
Winner: Rafael Marques de Araujo
Runner-up: Ney José Alves Filho
North/Northeast
Winner: Glauber de Castro (Bahia)
Rio de Janeiro
Winner: Francisco Nioac de Salles
São Paulo
Winner: Daniella Romano Pelosini
Runner-up: Marco Antonio Guardabaxo
South of Minas
Winner: Carlos H. Ribeiro do Valle
Runner-up: Carlos Alberto Pellicer
Awarded annually since 1991, the Ernesto Illy Award is considered the most important initiative for the recognition of quality of Brazilian coffee production.
Created by illycaffè as a fundamental action that formed part of the plan to develop the quality and sustainability of coffee in the country, the competition has already recognized more than two thousand coffee growers over the years.
