Coffee Terroir: The Second Love Subtitle: From the "Divine Time" of Greek tradition to the science of extraction.

Why Philia Kitchen Lab treats coffee as a fruit

and an integral part of high gastronomy

The Time of Coffee: A Ritual In Greece, coffee has never been "just coffee." It has always been, and remains, Time. The custom spread to Greek communities around 1750 and took deep root, not merely as a need for caffeine, but as an occasion for socialization. "Coffee time" in our culture is more valuable than the beverage itself. It is the moment when relationships deepen, business deals are sealed, and the continuous flow of daily life comes to a halt. It is, quite literally, a "Divine Time."

This way of being has been criticized many times, perhaps because critics do not know the true Greek identity and ignore the magic of the pause. At Philia Winery & Kitchen Lab, this aspect of gastronomy concerns us deeply. We are not interested in the hasty consumption of a "to-go" beverage. We care about the ritual, the flavor that holds our attention, and the conversation born over the cup. Coffee is the epilogue of a meal, and like every epilogue, it must be memorable.

Coffee is a Fruit (The Botanical Approach). To understand quality, we must return to biology and realise that coffee resembles wine more than any other beverage. Coffee is a cherry. It comes from trees that can reach 10 meters in height and, like any fruit-bearing tree or vine, requires specific climatic conditions to fruit properly. The yellow or red fruit contains two beans, covered by the flesh and the outer skin. Sometimes a "peaberry" forms, with only one seed, which many believe results in a more concentrated flavour.

The criteria that affect price and quality are almost identical to those of wine: the cultivation area, the variety, and the processing method. The higher the altitude, the slower the ripening of the fruit. This slow maturation allows sugars to develop, leading to denser, harder, and larger beans—a hallmark of quality. The distinction between Coffea Arabica and Coffea Robusta is fundamental. Arabica, with its fine aromas and lower caffeine content, is to us what Muscat is to Samos: a raw material that demands respect and offers elegance, in contrast to Robusta, which focuses on intensity and toughness.

Processing: From "Natural" to "Washed" At Philia, we are fascinated by the fermentation process in coffee, as it resembles the winemaking techniques we apply to our wines. The processing of the fruit after harvest determines the final profile:

• Natural Process: The fruit dries under the sun with its flesh intact. Enzymatic fermentation occurs in dry conditions. This method gives the coffee full body and an intense fruity sensation, reminiscent of our low-intervention wines or Skin Contact whites.

• Washed Process: The beans are submerged in water, and fermentation takes place in a wet environment after the flesh is removed. The result is clean, with high, razor-sharp acidities, like a crystalline tank-aged white wine.

• Honey Process: A hybrid method that starts as Natural and finishes as Washed. The skin is removed, but part of the sticky flesh (mucilage) remains on the bean during drying. The result is complex, with a sweetness reminiscent of honey.

The Parisian Experience: From Indifference to Revolution Those of us who lived in Paris before 2010 remember a paradox: in the world capital of gastronomy, coffee was merely a habit, a bitter footnote after an exquisite meal. No one paid attention to origin or extraction. Later, the dominance of industrialised capsules like Nespresso had flattened taste, delivering convenience but stripping the fruit of its soul.

I distinctly remember being forced to import coffee from Greece for my restaurant, searching for the quality that was missing from Parisian Restaurants & cafés. Everything changed around 2009-2010. Pioneers like Hippolyte Courty (founder of L'Arbre à Café), who refused to compromise with mediocrity, and later Gloria Montenegro (La Caféothèque), started a revolution. They brought Speciality Coffee to the tables of great Chefs, proving that coffee is not "fuel" or a "capsule," but a complex gastronomic product. This transformation, which I experienced firsthand, is what we bring to Philia today.

Collaboration with Samba Cafe & The Gastronomic Profile. In recent years, the trend of Speciality Coffee has spread, but it often remains superficial. Not everyone understands that speciality coffee requires consistency and dedication from all involved, from the cultivator to the barista. If one link breaks, the hard work is lost, and the victim is always the final consumer. Coffee beans ready for roasting

Our collaboration with Samba Cafe ensures this hard work reaches your cup intact. Tasting the new varieties, the cupping session at the Kitchen Lab transforms into a high-gastronomy experience:

• Ethiopia (Natural): Here, the affinity with wine is staggering. Terpenes dominate (just like in our Muscat!). Notes of hemp and citrus, with a lemony acidity that induces intense salivation and vibrancy. It is a "living" coffee.

• Kenya (Washed): A coffee with structure reminiscent of red wine. Very elegant tannins, full body, and a balanced aroma of sweet tobacco.

• Indonesia (Washed): The Asian terroir imparts an earthy character. Pleasant tobacco aroma, sweet malic acidity (like fresh green apple), and a cool aftertaste reminiscent of menthol.

• Rwanda (Washed): The epitome of balance. Ripe citrus fruits and an acidity that caresses the palate, offering a pleasant, round sensation.

• Guatemala (Honey): The only one on the list using the Honey method. Aromas of flowers and ripe yellow fruits, with a sweetness that remains in the aftertaste, reminiscent of ripe apricot.

The Gastronomy of the Pause. For us at Philia, coffee is not an accompaniment. It is a protagonist. We are interested in this side of gastronomy: the analysis of acidity, the texture of the body, and the clarity of the aftertaste. Whether you enjoy the ritual while reading your newspaper, talking with friends in a noisy café, or cooling off with an iced coffee by the sea in summer, remember: Great ideas, like great wines, need time. And often, they are born over a table with a few cups of excellent coffee.

At Philia Kitchen Lab, we pledge to serve this quality because we believe that gastronomy is unified. From the vine to the coffee tree, and from the glass to the cup.

We provide the Terroir and the Art. You provide the Time.