Micro climates within certain regions of Brazil can produce some outstanding coffees. In particular, some specific areas within Cerrado, Matas de Minas, Mogiana, and Sul de Minas regions are known to cultivate excellent coffee.
Minas Gerais means “General Mines”, named after the gold rush in the 18th century. It is the largest coffee-growing state in Brazil, accounting for close to 50% of the total coffee grown. It’s here that you’ll find Sul de Minas, with it’s mild climate consistently around 22 Celsius. The “small” farms range from 10 to 100 hectares and produce almost 30% of all Brazilian coffees, known for being full bodied with fruity aromas and citric flavors.Brazil is synonymous with so many things in the collective imagination: samba, soccer, beaches, and carnival, to name a few.
However, back at the turn of the 19th century, Brazil was famous for one thing and one thing only: coffee.The cultivation of coffee beans helped the country expand into the powerhouse to where it is today, and was in large part responsible for the development of Brazil’s southeastern region, the wealthiest part of the country today.
Over a hundred years on, Brazil is still the world’s largest coffee producer, yet around the country, growers are beginning to focus more on quality than on quantity. An unforgettable coffee experience. One of the most popular coffee tourism experiences in Brazil is the Rota de Café Especial, or Specialty Coffee Trail, located in the town of São Lourenço, to the south of the state of Minas Gerais.
The region is one of five in Brazil to have a guaranteed seal of origin for its coffee. The town is easily accessible by bus from the cities of Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, and Belo Horizonte.
The 4-hour long tour takes visitors on a journey throughout the history of coffee production in Brazil, from the fruit’s arrival in the country in 1770, all the way up to the present day and the production of some of the world’s highest-rated specialty coffees. Guides show tourists the entire process of coffee production, from selecting the best beans all the way up to brewing the perfect cup.
There is even a lesson on coffee tasting at the end of the tour, where visitors learn how to become proper coffee tasters, noting acidity, aroma, body and other such qualities, which specialty coffees in Minas Gerais have in abundance.