The Cupping Table - By M-Cultivo

Join host David Paparelli as he sits down with Kevin Doyle, co-founder of the celebrated Colombian coffee farm, Mikava. Kevin shares the incredible journey of how a family "hobby" transformed into a world-record-breaking operation, securing a 92.71 Cup of Excellence win for a natural processed coffee. He details their "personal obsession with fermentation" , including an innova...

We're joined by Gabriel Agrelli, the Product and Marketing Development Director for Daterra in Brazil , a company he's been with for 16 years and one he calls a "driving force" in the Brazilian specialty coffee scene. Gabriel shares his unique journey, which started as a 13-year-old in a foundation run by the same family and grew into a "fast track" education in coffee,...

The Africa Fine Coffee Association (AFCA) is challenging the idea of a simple competition by relaunching Taste of Harvest as an event to celebrate the entire coffee community. AFCA Executive Director Gilbert Gatali joins The Cupping Table to discuss the vision for this continental platform and the importance of celebrating Africa's vast coffee diversity. He details how the ambition to honor ev...

Celebrating their 10th anniversary, Clearpath Coffee founder Vicente Mejia discusses the company's idealistic origins, which focused on creating a social impact by connecting remote Colombian producing families with the global market. We also talked about "new school" innovative processing (using technology and specialized methods) and "old school" tradition (focusing on te...

Finca Sophia defied skeptics by proving high-altitude Geisha farming was possible. Founding partners Willem Boot and David Pohl join The Cupping Table to discuss the 10-year waiting period and the immense risks involved in establishing an award-winning farm on the "very edge of what is possible" in Volcán, Panama. They detail how the ambition to produce coffee at unprecedented altitudes...

UK's 2025 Barista Champion, Will Woodhouse-Banks, details his four-year journey culminating in preparation for the World Barista Championship (WBC). The Innovation Developer at Taylor's of Harrogate and evolved Q Grader competes not just for the title, but also for professional growth and to honor the trusted, long-term relationships he has built with coffee producers. Fresh off his UK vic...

For the last 25 years Longboard Coffee has produced beautiful Panamanian coffees. Justin Boudeman founded Longboard through a love of Panama and a love of surfing. Over the years he took an unconventional, meticulous approach to coffee farming, that emphasized the authentic expression of the terroir. Justin sadly passed away recently. His legacy has been carried forward by his daughters Sophia and...

Why do certain coffees get extraordinary prices? In this episode of The Cupping Table our co-founder, David Paparelli, discusses auction buying trends. The recording was done in 2024 at the Producer Roaster Forum in Guatemala. The next Producer Roaster Forum is in El Salvador in March 2026 for all interested in attending.

Enrique Navarro is a fourth generation coffee producer in Costa Rica. In this episode we discuss the evolution of the Costa Rican specialty coffee industry, the history of Monte Copey, and the innovation that Enrique is bringing to his micro mill to carry on his family's legacy.

Tamiru Tadesse founded Alo Coffee in 2020 and won Cup of Excellence in 2021. In this episode Tamiru shares his experience starting strong and navigating the complexities of Ethiopian coffee. From community to the processing methods to the cupping table to the market, Alo strives towards excellence.

Wilford Lamastus Jr. is the next generation at Lamastus Family Estates. Lamastus sold a coffee last year for $13k USD per kilogram. It takes more than excellent quality coffee to get to that price. In this episode Wilford Jr. shares his experience in the Best of Panama competition, the future of his family's estates, and his vision for the emerging luxury class of coffee.

Julith and Hacienda La Esmeralda meet for the first time in this episode. An interesting conversation on any day, but Julith and Esmeralda just made history. Serkan of Julith won Rachel Peterson and the Esmeralda team's geisha washed, the best coffee ever produced, on auction for $30k USD per kilogram for a total purchase of over $600k USD for just 20 kilograms of coffee. This breaks the previ...

21 years ago Hacienda La Esmeralda became synonymous with Geisha coffee. Rachel tells the remarkable story of what led to Esmeralda's historic "Triple Crown" victory at the Best of Panama competition. For the first time, a single farm won first place for its Natural, Washed, and varietal coffees, building on the Peterson family's legacy in specialty coffee production.

From a challenging start to a world-renowned Gesha Forest, Max Perez of Finca La Hermosa shares his story of passion, perseverance, and pioneering innovation in Guatemalan coffee.

"What if we do this ourselves?" Adam Overton and Rachel Samuel, the visionary founders of Gesha Village, walk us through their journey from documentary filmmakers to pioneering coffee producers. Their passion and insight come through in this episode of The Cupping Table. Their journey captures the beauty, quality, and community of the remote Ethiopian forrest that became Gesha Village.

What's next for Kona coffee? Jean Orlowski, the founder of Hala Tree, walks us through his journey from french family farm to global commodity trading to "retiring" to Hawaii; Where he met his hardest challenge yet: Kona coffee farmer. His passion and insight come through loud and clear in this episode.

In this episode of The Cupping Table podcast, David Paparelli sat down in London with Nic Lauten and Fred Nsengiyumva of the Kula Project—a nonprofit organization working on the ground in Rwanda to bring coffee farmers out of poverty. The conversation offered a rare behind-the-scenes look at the realities of running a washing station, managing farmer relationships, and building a business that is...

Join us for an in-depth conversation with Maria Olano, Senior Coffee Trader for the FNC in Colombia. This episode explores the role of the FNC in shaping the future of Colombian coffee, from sustainability and research to fostering stronger connections between growers and roasters. Maria shares her insights on the evolving coffee market, the impact of innovation, and the upcoming 10th edition of t...

In this special episode of The Cupping Table, we bring you an exclusive conversation from the Dubai Coffee Auction live at WOC, where M-Cultivo CEO David Paparelli sat down with four of the world’s most innovative coffee producers: Daniela Rodriguez from Los Rodriguez from Bolivia Mokhtar Alkhanshali from Alkhanshali Estate from Yemen Jorge Castro from Inmaculada Coffee Farms from Colombia Kraig L...

Three-time Turkish Barista Champion Serkan Sagsoz shares his journey from coffee enthusiast to entrepreneur in Dubai. In this episode of The Cupping Table, hosted by David Paparelli, Serkan discusses his passion for Liberica coffee, the challenges of building a specialty coffee business, and his vision for Julith Coffee. Discover how he is redefining coffee experiences and pushing the boundaries o...

Join David Paparelli as he sits down with Andrew Yu, co-founder of Panda Bear Express, to explore the complexities of sourcing high-end specialty coffee. From navigating global markets to building long-term producer relationships, Andrew shares insights into what makes a coffee truly exceptional. Tune in for a deep dive into the evolving specialty coffee industry, the role of auctions, and the fut...

What happens when a consultant stumbles upon a Colombian coffee farm and never looks back? Don Tulio (Sharam) went from finance to farming, building Colombian Exotics—a vertically integrated coffee company spanning high-altitude farms to global markets. In this episode, recorded at World of Coffee Dubai, he shares how a single visit transformed his life, why he puts jazz music on for his coffee, a...

Kona coffee has long been admired, but is it truly reaching its full potential on the global stage? Join us as we speak with Kraig Lee, founder of Kona Farm Direct, about his mission to showcase Kona’s place among the world’s most sought-after coffees. With over 30 years of experience, Kraig has pushed the boundaries of what Kona coffee can be—experimenting with SL34, pioneering innovative ferment...

Join us at the cupping table with Bernard Uhe, a standout producer from Ecuador, as he tells us how he and his family are helping put the country’s specialty coffee on the global map. With award-winning farms like Finca La Noria and El Dorado, Uhe shares his journey of crafting exceptional coffees and showcasing Ecuador’s unique potential. Learn about the passion and dedication driving the rise of...

Join us in a conversation with Gabriel Agrelli from Daterra Coffee, as we explore how Daterra has been reshaping the global perception of Brazilian coffee for over 30 years. While Brazil is often associated with large-scale coffee production, Daterra has proven that high volume and exceptional quality can go hand in hand. Through scientific research, sustainability, and groundbreaking processing t...