Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/612330
44 STiR tea & coffee industry international / Issue 6, 2015 (December/January) became a SCAE barista certifier, and in Brazil taught basic and advanced education and certification. Throughout her travels she championed local growers and promoted in person and online the unique flavors of Brazilian terroir. But it did not pay the bills, even as a champion barista she earned 700 Brazilian reals (US$185) a week. She attended SCAE regularly and in time became a speaker sharing coffee knowledge, sensory knowledge at cuppings and psychological insights into consumer behavior. Her SCAE presentation "Perception of Coffee and Taste" elevated her status abroad. She attended the World Cup Tasting Championship, which was won in 2005 by Tim Wendelboe who won the World Barista Chapionship in 2004. He became a friend and mentor. "He is one of the best prospectors and tasters I know and an amazing roaster. He taught me to never compromise quality," she said. In 2010 after observing significant improvements at the farm level Wendelboe began sourcing specialty coffee in Brazil. "The best three coffees I have ever had in Brazil all came from Espirito Santo [state] and I tasted them all last year," Wendelboe told the SCAA Chronicle. He points to regional flavor notes like molasses and chocolate, and undertones of dried fruits like figs and dates. "There is a range of flavors in Brazilian coffees that I recently discov- ered, much thanks to Isabela Raposeiras, who took me to Espirito Santo and showed me that Brazilian coffees can be very complex and have high acidity." Raposeiras qualified as an apprentice judge in the annual Cup of Excellence compe- tition and in 2013 attended her first Specialty Coffee Association of American (SCAA) show in Boston. Clever fox In Portuguese raposa means fox and inspired the foxtail insignia for her own coffee shop in 2009. She chose to locate in the upscale Vila Madalena neighborhood on a tree-lined street. The Coffee Lab in São Paulo houses two roasters, a kitchen, a patio, and indoor lounge and coffee bar. In a city of 23 million where most settle for low-quality cafezinho, the coverall-clad Coffee Lab staff is trained to brew coffee in a dozen ways. The quality coffee of Brazil's small growers is featured in detail in her menu. The shop has been awarded numerous city and regional prizes for excellence including five consecutive "Coffee Bar of the Year" awards by São Paulo gastronomic magazine. Coffee there sells for 13 reals ($3.50) a cup. After installing roasting equipment, the shop began supplying restaurants and other coffee establishments while earning a reputation as the finest training center in São Paulo. Meanwhile Raposeiras completed her studies and was awarded a masters in psychology in 2008. Photo by Dan Bolton/STiR Tea & Coffee Photos by Dan Bolton/STiR Tea & Coffee Coffee Lab serves a discerning São Paulo clientele. At right, Ivan Laranveira Petrich serves single origins in an Aeropress. Customers on the back patio are served through the kitchen window.