| Holiday Greetings and Last Minute Gifts from Terroir |
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What’s happening at Terroir® Upcoming Coffee Seminar and Open House - Join us on Saturday, January 7th for a free Coffee Seminar and Open House with George Howell. From 9am to 11am, join George for 'Coffee 101'. Learn about how coffee is grown, harvested, and processed and learn all about what's in your cup with tastings! Space is limited for the seminar, so please register in advance to guarantee a seat. From 11am to 1pm, the doors will open to those who want to visit, taste and chat (no reservations required). To join the free seminar, please call 866-GHH-JAVA. Coffee News Around the World By George Howell, founder of Terroir® Just three years ago Rwanda did not exist in the specialty coffee world. Today, thanks to the funding of USAID, the vision of the Pearl Project and the inspired determination of the farmers, 20% of whom are genocide widows or orphans, new cooperatives are producing utterly unique boutique-quality coffees that are taking the specialty coffee sector by storm (see http://www.rwandacafe.com/ ). Rwanda’s emergence into coffee and its economic development efforts are prompting the attention of the mainstream press such as the BBC (March 10, 2004) and Time Magazine (Aug 29, 2005). Last Thursday I cupped 18 different Rwandas that have just been harvested and about to reach our shores. I was amazed at the consistent quality I found. Rwanda has propelled itself into the ranks of the very top world-class quality coffee producers. Our current Rwanda, Karaba Cooperative from last year's harvest, is a great example of this country's unique highly aromatic delicate flavor profile - medium bodied, floral aromas, flashes of pear, pecan and berries. For more information on the Karaba Cooperative, check out our website. Coffee Tip – What filters are best for me? There are 2 main varieties of drip filters. Most American drip machines use a flat bottom filter, while the majority of European brewers use a cone shaped filter. Check the shape of the basket on your machine to see what shape to use. Now that you've learned which type, flat-bottomed or cone, you still have a variety of options before you. First, paper filters, the most common filter used, are available in both bleached and un-bleached; our experience has shown that environment-friendly oxygen-bleached filters affect the flavor of coffee far less than the brown un-bleached. While paper filters are more common, permanent gold-meshed cone filters have become popular over the years. They work well and can be environmentally friendly, but tend to be messier than paper filters. And the taste of the coffee? The flavor differs slightly between the gold and paper filters; the gold filters produce more body and diminish somewhat the liveliness of the cup. This is because of the added sediment and oils while the paper filters create a 'cleaner', more nuanced cup. So, let your palette be the judge. Try out the different types and settle on what’s best for you. For more about our filters and other accessories, check out our website. New Coffees... We are getting a couple of tiny Colombian coffee lots from two very small farmers this week. They cupped exquisitely, so we had them packaged specially in Colombia to preserve their quality. We cannot begin to describe here the hurdles we have had to go through to get this coffee because of this new packaging (think Colombian and US Customs), but these beans are well worth the effort. Watch the website for more information. Events @ Terroir Upcoming Coffee Seminar and Open House: 9am - 11am Coffee Seminar with George, space limited, register in advance. 11am - 1pm Open House with coffee tasting, questions, etc. No reservations required. |
Free French Press with $100 Coffee Purchase - In the holiday spirit, we have decided to extend this promotion until December 31st 2005. Order now and receive a 3 cup SmartCafe French Press free with any coffee purchase of $100 or more. This line of French presses sports Culinaire's "Coffee Capture" system and a strong Pyrex glass decanter that holds up far better than others. This offer is available only while supplies last. Use the promo-code "classicpress" in your 
Great Terroir Gifts for the Holidays - Have a coffee lover in your life and need an idea for what to give? We're here to help. Choose from our new, but already popular gift sets including Coffees of Kenya, Coffees of the Americas, Coffees of East Africa, Coffees of Sumatra, Decaf Collection, and Espresso Collection. In a rush and need a last minute present? Our instant and customizable Gift Certificates make a great gift for any coffee drinker. And don’t hesitate to call with special requests! Check out the 
