Brazil – Otávio Reis

Sul de Minas (South of Minas Gerais) is one of the first coffee producing areas in Brazil. Here lies Fazenda Bela Vista run by Otávio Reis and his family, a farm around 1000 hectares big, with 500 hectares of coffee fields at an altitude of 1050m. The entire family has been growing coffee for generations (Otávio is the 5th generation) and this fazenda gives an insight in the old traditions, although the farm is run like any modern company: it is extremely organized and structured and is highly mechanized for producing high quality coffee.

This batch is processed according to the “natural” method – the most traditional and oldest in the field: coffee cherries are placed on raised beds and sun dried for four weeks, with a regular turning in order to ensure uniformity; finally cherries are mechanically depulped. This drying process where beans dry within the whole fruits gives this coffee a balanced and aromatic structure characterized by an intense body with hints of nuts, chocolate and banana.

All the hard work have resulted in the UTZ and Rainforest Alliance certificates for over more than 15 years now and the farm is a member of BSCA – Brazil Specialty Coffee Association. Many times their coffees have been finalists in regional competitions and in the Cup of Excellence as well.