Fusion of unique tastes
Specific climate, soil, relief, altitude, and approach to coffee farming
Every coffee-growing region is defined by its specific climate, soil, relief, altitude, and approach to coffee farming. The fusion of these elements is called »Terroir«, it is always unique and, as such, creates its own character and a specific sensory experience in the cup. We love and respect the energy that each terroir reflects in the cup. However, our passion and, consequently, our dedication belong to the one to whom values and elements we identify ourselves most.
The Caparao mountains
This small and relatively new coffee-growing region is distant from large cities and located on the border of two Brazilian states that are the largest coffee producers: Espirito Santo and Minas Gerais.
It was around 200 hundred years ago, when the first settlers came into this hidden land, brought the first coffee trees, and planted them all around the mountains. Since then, their ancestors have lived on small farms and, despite the crazy mountainous climate, live in harmony with nature and breathe for coffee. But it was just a decade ago when Caparao appeared on the global map of the best coffees.
The Coffee of the Year
In 2014, a young farmer from a small city named Alto Caparao took a naturally processed coffee to the principal Brazilian contest for the best late-harvest coffee, The Coffee of the Year. And won it!
Since then, the number of farmers working on the improvement of their coffees has been growing. Because of this, the mountains are constantly giving birth to unique, mind-blowing coffees. This beautiful virtous cycle results in many favorable outcomes, such as stability and knowledge for farmers, and last but not least, since then coffees from the region have been frequent winners on this contest.
Denomination of origin as a result of the uniqueness
The coffees from Caparao are considered peculiar in relation to the others for different reasons. Unique sensory characteristics lead to a detailed analysis of natural and human factors and also local customs. Years of research resulted in the recognition of the uniqueness of the terroir in 2021, and the coffees produced in the Caparao mountains are protected with a denomination of origin.
Hidden in the shelter of the centenary native trees.
In the past, the whole region had been covered by Atlantic rainforest. As a result, the soil is extremely rich in organic matter with lots of leaves, bacteria, twigs, and worms that make it alive and very nutritious for plants.
The region is protected as a national park, which is a strong protector of the ecological approach to coffee farming and has an immense contribution to sustainability. As such, this fact helps a lot to maintain the native flora and fauna. Consequently, the major area of the region is still covered with native vegetation, giving a safe home to native inhabitants, the indigenous tribe Tupi, and also many endangered species, such as the Jaguar, Harpy Eagle, and Muriqui Monkey.
But if you look closely down under the high peaks, you can also find hundreds of small coffee plantations hidden in the shelter of the centenary native trees.
Owned By Families
For generations, these plantations have been owned by families, and despite their very traditional approach, quite some innovations have been made, and lots of knowledge has been gathered. However, all the work is still taken care of by family members. Especially during the harvest, filled with expectations and ongoing challenges, all the members of the family join force with the objective of producing the perfect cup. For those focused on the highest quality, harvest time means up to six months without a single free day. The coffee does not know when it is Sunday or a holiday. In this period, usually, men are handpicking the ripen coffee cherries, and women are taking care that their drying is regular and even.
To add our small contribution towards sustainability and maintenance of the ecological balance of the natural environment in our favorite terroir, we strongly support ecological approach to coffee farming with different actions. As a result, all our coffees grown on the slopes under the Caparao park are free of pesticides. You can check our Sustainability report for more about our program.
