Brazil is the world's largest coffee producer and, although it has always been perceived as a volume producer, in recent decades its commitment to quality has led its coffees to occupy a prominent place in the world of specialty coffee.

This article is the first of a short tour of all the origins of our coffees. Countries in which we have lived great experiences and learned from the hand of those for whom coffee is their life.

Year 1998, first trip to a coffee producing country: Brazil - Minas Gerais - Patrocinio. Young, inexperienced and full of uncertainty about our professional future, we had the opportunity to join a very avant-garde project at that time. The environment was propitious. With the support of the family, coffee producers with a vision of the future and an entrepreneurial vocation, concerns about the future of the coffee sector...

The rise of Denominations of Origin in Europe and the definition of quality standards in the United States helped these pioneers to visualise a new way of understanding the coffee sector.
 
We were lucky enough to be there, to do our bit and to realise that training is the key to the future.

The producers of the Cerrado Mineiro region, in the state of Minas Gerais, were pioneers in the creation of a coffee denomination of origin. Convinced of the transformation and evolution of the coffee culture, they opted for quality and traceability to add value to their product, until today they are known worldwide for the quality and identity of their coffees.

The control of the production process by the Federação dos Cafeicultores do Cerrado guarantees that the coffee is grown within the territory demarcated by the Denomination of Origin, that the quality is as required and that the required production guidelines are followed, that the producer is a cooperative or associate of one of the affiliated cooperatives or associations and that it is only exported through accredited exporters to guarantee the exhaustive traceability of the coffee. All this results in a higher value for the product, not only in monetary value, but also in recognition and identification.

Our belief in the good results of this system has led us to import green coffee from the Região do Cerrado Mineiro for more than 20 years.

The coffees of the Região do Cerrado Mineiro are recognised for the uniqueness of the production region. An altitude of between 800 and 1300 masl, a climate with warm, humid summers and mild, dry winters, together with the characteristics of the soil and the experience of the producers, give birth to coffees with an intense body and aroma, with citrus and floral notes. Their flavour is sweet and chocolatey, derived from the predominant natural process, making them the perfect component of many blends and ideal for single origin.

And going back to 1998... in this first entry I would like to thank all those who were there at that time and who are now part of my life experience. To my family, Jose Luiz Álvarez in particular, to Expocaccer with Eustaquio Miranda and André Gomes, to Caccer (now under a different name) with Aguinaldo Lima, as well as to many other people who were part of that experience.

Mateo Martínez Álvarez