FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MISSOULA, MT (June 8, 2007) ­ Wednesday's successful Nicaragua Cup of Excellence Auction has set the stage for the entire 2007 Central American COE program which will also highlight winning coffees from Guatemala, Costa Rica, El Salvador and Honduras.

Of the 34 coffees auctioned off on June 6, 2007, 20 brought in a price of more than $5/lb. The total auction value for all coffees sold reached $550,000, with an average price per pound ($6.58) well above last year's average of $4.14/lb. The price support for all of the Nicaraguan COE coffees is due to the continued efforts on the part of Nicaraguan coffee farmers to focus on quality improvements. The auction garnered widespread international support, illustrating that interest in these winning coffees comes from a broad marketplace. Coffees were auctioned off to companies from throughout the world, including Japan, UK, Ireland, Sweden, Canada and Taiwan. Additionally, various U.S. importers, including Minneapolis-based Cafe Imports, showed their continued support for COE program, while newcomers, Zephyr Green Coffee Importers of New Orleans, LA, and Vournas Coffee Trading of Westlake Village, CA, also made successful bids on COE coffees.

Intense competition for the winning Cup of Excellence® coffees culminated in a high bid of $47.06lb. Stumptown Coffee Roasters of Portland, Ore. finally outbid a group of European roasters during the 5-hour auction, bringing home Las Golindrinas from the Ocotol region of Nicaragua. In addition to setting a new record price at a Nicaraguan COE auction, the Las Golindrinas coffee was also rewarded the highest score ever given to a Nicaraguan COE coffee in the past six years of the competition in the country.

This sweet and extremely aromatic coffee boasts a crisp, bright and lovely body, with a round acidity topped with citrus notes. "Our coffee will not let you down," said the shocked winning farmer, Marcio Benjamin Peralta Paguaga. "Personally, this is very satisfying, for me, my family and the farm workers who are also a very important part of this award." Additionally, Paguaga sends special thanks to all the bidders and supporters of the Cup of Excellence and for the local support in organizing the competition for the past six years.

The exceptional price paid for the Las Golindrinas coffee helps continue the drive in which every high quality coffee is sold for an exceptional premium.

Roger Castellon from Hacienda Los Nogales, received an auction price of $6.80/lb. for his coffee which placed sixth in the COE competition. "After 70 years of being a coffee producer, never in my life did I ever imagine that I would be able to obtain this price for my coffee. There isn't a crop more noble than coffee, because even though there have been low prices in the past, if you focus on good management there is a market that recognizes the effort it takes to produce it." Las Termopilas, an organic coffee from Prodecoorp R.I., was a 4th place winner in the COE competition and received the second high bid at $10 a pound. This same coffee placed 12th in 2005, and the farmer's father, who runs a neighboring farm, has also enjoyed success in the competition, having a coffee that placed first in the 2004 COE competition. "I am very satisfied with the recognition my organic coffee has received," explains Milton Canales of Las Termopilas. "This will allow me to improve the quality of life for my family and workers. It is a true testament that the good maintenance of our farms has allowed us to be winners in three separate years. The hard work has definitely paid off."

Since it's beginnings in 1999, the Cup of Excellence® program has hosted programs in Brazil, Nicaragua, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Costa Rica, Bolivia and Colombia. The Cup of Excellence program is managed by the non-profit Alliance for Coffee Excellence, Inc, The state of the art Cup of Excellence auction has been managed in partnership with CommoditiesOne, a leading software development firm since 2002. For more information about the Cup of Excellence program or to become a member or buyer of these fine coffees log on to www.cupofexcellence.org.