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THE CHALLENGE

Imagine an Englishman who understands wine as much as a French. O.K., d'accord, may seem a bit too much, admit.  I'll rephrase the sentence. It was once an Englishman who wanted to prove to the world that make good wine is not unique expertise of the French.

 

Either option, it is millennial conflict that should keep sane Brazilian corkscrew kept in his pocket. But for the new generations to draw their own conclusions about the much vaunted rivalry between island and mainland, then narrate something that happened almost four decades, with implications for all time.

Cachaça Cedro do Líbano

A guy named Steven Spurrier, a respected English critic and magazine editor in wines, offered sophisticated little necks of the relentless French guillotine powerful 'Uncle Sam', in what became known as "The Judgment of Paris". So murky.   Well, as the subject of Queen Elizabeth II led in 1970s Paris wine tasting blind, the one that does not appear competing labels and all judges - connoisseurs of the drink of the gods - go without tasting the cup or bowl off the origin of sayings whose.

 

Blind test is the terror of manufacturers and producers already established, but not practice it is at least undemocratic. Induce tastes and opinions is diabolical maneuver should be avoided at any cost. Works with almost everything, but let's see.   You are in an upscale department store and are faced with two racks of clothes. At first, the Dolce & Gabbana plate leaves no doubt as design and beauty - and value - of the parts. In another, a stranger any signposted. Which one attracts you more? What would you take home? I bet my newly renovated closet that most would go with a D & G bag, even if it were as talented as anonymous, and less expensive. Now, try to remove the names of the designers of the macaws and labels. The outcome could shake through fashion circuit, it-girls of the tuned bloggers.

Mauricio Maia e Rodrigo Bitar
Cachaça Cedro do Líbano Campeã

Similar to the phenomenon of Paris was repeated on 11 April 2013 in Fortaleza – Ceará - BRAZIL. The drink? cachaça, of course, recognized that the exact date as genuinely Brazilian product, thanks to bilateral trade agreement between Brazil and the United States. 

 

Twenty-eight judges, including journalists, restaurateurs, chefs, bloggers and enthusiasts in general the national distilled cane sugar, participated in the test Fortress named Desafio Top Mundial da Cachaça "World Top Challenge of Cachaça". They obeyed the scale of zero to 10, determined by 'cachacier' (taster of cachaça) from São Paulo, Mauricio Maia, a leading expert in beverage Brazil.

 

As in Paris, the result of Fortaleza was also surprising. Came out winning the then unknown Cedro do Líbano, manufactured in Ceará, having played with four of the best homemade cachaça distillery in the country, all members of reputable national and rankings from traditional producers poles, like Salinas in northern Minas Gerais.

"We knew that the state of Ceará was able to produce artisanal cachaça as good as the best in Brazil," said the happy winner Rodrigo Bitar  to the Agrovalor  Newspaper the time.

 

"We spent years studying, testing and finalizing a product that, although we knew to be of excellent quality, still little known outside the region. We decided to risk all of our cards on the 'Challenge'. We did not expect to win, but we won not only the competition but also the prejudice, "continues obstinate manufacturer Ceará, right arm of the father (businessman Antônio José Bitar) in this endeavor, he could prove that know-how is not exclusive to some.

 

Bitar emphasizes that the national recognition of Ceará cachaça "should pave the way and provide opportunity for new producers."

The two historical events confirm that with technology responsible, serious work and investment is possible to obtain excellent products, obviously respecting the diversity and natural vocation regions.   When someone raise questions about the quality of product A or B with simplistic arguments such as lack of tradition of the region or country of manufacture is more than time to send the dust settles from prejudice and propose a toast to equal step: Health! Cheers! Santé! Halina! Father d'mare! Too good account only!

 

World Top Challenge Cachaça / Fortaleza (Ceara) / Ranking 2013:

1st place: Cedar of Lebanon (São Gonçalo do Amarante / EC) - 2,231 points

2nd place: Vale Verde (Betim / MG) - 1,976 points

3rd place: Anísio Santiago / Havana (Salinas / MG) - 1,874 points

4th place: Claudionor (Januária / MG) - 1,751 points

5th place: Sierra Clears (Two Roads / PB) - 1,637 points

Source: http://www.cachacacedrodolibano.com.br     

 

 

Articles by Celma Prata

Agrovalor Journal

Originally published in Ed 92 (Outubro/2013)

 

 

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