I had a great discussion about appellations with Jonas, a sommelier and barista from Stockholm. Over a few beers we pondered whether appellations could be adopted into coffee. He had some interesting insights in the wine world and how the appellations work there.

It certainly is a fascinating idea, to certify coffee either by origin or characteristic. It could result in areas that are known for producing coffee with certain distinctive aroma, style or just high quality. I don’t see how this wouldn’t be a good thing for the producer as it most likely would raise the prices. From the buyers perspective – you would always know or expect what you’ll get, both taste and quality wise. A bit like Champagne – they also produce good sparkling wine just outside the region but when you’re buying the C bottle you can be sure to get certain quality wine.

Of course there would be downsides, too. Managing the certification could be somewhat difficult in corrupted and disorganised countries like Rwanda. Some producers in the wine world have opted for dropping out from the certification since basically everyone can get it.

Any thoughts? I would love to hear you opinions.