Sitio Cafundo

Sitio Cafundo Coffee

Valter Dias is the owner of Sitio Cafundo coffee farm. the Farm is situated in a community called Barra Grande, a small village 10 km North of Poco Fundo in the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil. He has been growing coffee here for over 15 years. With the help of his brother Wagner, they have invested time and energy separating the lots, organising harvest schedule, and properly drying their coffee – small batches at a time.

Besides the conventional cemented patio, they have added a ventilated static box that allows warm air to flow evenly drying the cherries. This box enhances natural fermentation resulting in a more complex profile.

“We are extremely happy with quality. Feedback received is encouraging and we are very optimistic for future harvests”, says Mr. Dias.

The Region

Sitio Cafundo is in a community called Barra Grande, municipality of Poco Fundo, in the south of Minas Gerais state (Sul the Minas). The farm has amongst the high elevations in the region, averaging 1,200 metres above sea level.

Sul de Minas (South Minas) is the largest coffee growing region in Brazil and the world, and is home to some of the best coffees in Brazil. The region is characterised by mountainous terrain, rich fertile soil and vast natural reserves of Brazil’s Atlantic Rainforest. The favourable climate and relief, together with handmade coffee production, are the secrets of the award-winning region. The factors for success are a dedication at all stages of production, solid infrastructure and investment in research.

The Process

Cherries are carefully handpicked and then floated in a tank of water to separate by density. The densest, ripest cherries sink to the bottom of the tank and the floaters are removed. The remaining high quality cherries are then dried on the patio in the sun with skin and pulp intact until the optimum moisture content has been reached. The cherries must be carefully maintained and turned to prevent over-fermentation or mold developing. Once the dried coffee cherries have been rested for a month, they are hulled, graded by bean size and bagged in GrainPro liners to preserve freshness.