ATLANTA, GA. July 26, 2005 -- J. Martinez & Company's espresso blend -- Don Giovanni's Espresso Bellissimo -- has been awarded a Grand Gold Medal by the International Institute for Quality Selections at the 2005 Monde Selection competition. At a time when distances are getting shorter and national borders are fading away, consumers need to be informed of the quality of globally produced products which are increasingly available in their local markets. Monde Selection awards have been a symbol of quality in international markets since their inception in 1961. The competition, held each May in Brussels, applies quality criteria laid down by the European Community. Gold, silver and bronze medals are awarded each year, together with matching diplomas. Products of absolutely superior quality receive Grand Gold Medals. J. Martinez & Company's espresso blend Don Giovanni's Espresso Bellissimo, got the nod from judges to win a Grand Gold Medal after being subjected to exhaustive quality tests and analyses of ingredients in recognized laboratories. In addition, an international Board of Examiners, experts in their field, assesses the organoleptic characteristics of products and perform ingredient analyses based on worldclass procedures to ensure labelling conformity. The prestige attached to the Monde Selection awards is recognised by international companies like Nestle and Heineken that have, over the years, submitted products which have won awards. Other winners include the French brewer Kronenbourg and, in America, the Collin Street Bakery of Texas. Don Giovanni's Espresso Bellissimo was created by John Martinez, who was better known for having introduced single-estate coffees to U.S. consumers in 1988. Martinez created a unique marketing strategy: offering coffees from individual plantations that produce a particularly fine example of a certain type of bean. Because he was appalled at the damage done to the reputation of both Hawaii's Kona and Jamaica's Blue Mountain coffees by the addition of inferior beans, Martinez guaranteed customers that he would not blend his premium coffees. Printed on the packaging, the J. Martinez guarantee was a new and ground-breaking benchmark. Don Giovanni's Espresso Bellissimo was therefore a real departure; it was his first blended coffee. A complex blend of coffees, Don Giovanni's Espresso Bellissimo was formulated in collaboration with his son, also John Martinez, in response to customers' requests for a 'real' espresso. Don Giovanni's opened the door to the introduction of other blends -- most notably those created for Williams-Sonoma. When asked for his reaction to the prize, John Martinez said, "My father built our reputation on the integrity of our products. To have this confirmed by a highly acclaimed international award like Monde Selection is a great honour -- I am proud to have played a part in this with him."