Sao Joao Estate Coffee is on the way!
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Oct 21st, 2009 |
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We are so exited about the amazing new coffees scheduled to arrive in our warehouse by the end of December!
São João Estate has been producing coffee since 1853 on the highlands of the State of Rio de Janeiro. Of course, the coffees are exceptionally fine to drink, but if you want to learn more, juicy details about this estate and its practices, read on!
The original farmlands were established over a century and a half ago by Tristao da Cunha Camara, following the expansion of coffee cultivation into the state of Rio de Janeiro. Since then, the farm has been restored, and is truly preserving the history of coffee culture as it was during Imperial Brasil. (This period lasted from 1808, when the seat of the Portuguese crown moved to Rio de Janeiro because of the Napoleonic Wars, until the beginning of the republican period in 1889). Today, the farm produces only premium Arabica. In 2002, it received the “Cup Of Excellence” award from BSCA – Brazil Specialty Coffee Association and ACE.
Sao Joao Estate is located in the Serra do Monte das Flores highlands, approximately 90 miles from the city of Rio de janeiro. The property is 1,111 acres, 172 of which are dedicated to the coffee plantation. Over 600 more acres are preserved as virgin forest, actively managed and replenished with new stocks of exotic and native plants. The rest of the property is dedicated to raising Simental Livestock.
Currently the estate has 245,000 coffee trees growing at an altitude of 2,624 feet above sea level, primarily facing north. The cultivars are Red Catuai,Yellow Catui, Yellow Bourbon, Precocious Icatu, and Mundo Novo. They even maintain some other vintage coffee plants surviving from the 19th century! The plantation is situated at the highest elevation of the region, and forms a convex semicircle framed by forestland. From above, one sees the Paraiba do Sul River and the Minas Gerais Highlands. To the south, the Orgaos Highlands and the Serra do Monte da Flores. The plantation is irrigated by the sweet, pure waters of the São João river.
The average annual high temperature is 82F and the low is 59F. The predominantly Latosoil red-yellow, with spots of Bruno Latoso “Bruno”, is non-magnetic, and modern agricultural techniques help assure high yields. In subtropical climates, there is typically drought in the months of June, July, and August. However, because of its proximity to the coast, this estate gets rain even during dry months, over 55 inches annually. The ample moisture makes for rich, flavorful beans and earlier harvesting.
During harvest time, coffee cherries are picked by hand and deposited into baskets three times a day. There’s a last burst of heavy rain just before the drier season begins, so constant harvesting is needed to assure that the mature cherries are picked at perfect ripeness. The estate follows the lunar calendar, a traditional practice conforming with Le Calendrier Jardines avec La Lune.
The storage greenhouses are temperature and humidity-controlled. With the exception of the boils, the cherries are dried in the greenhouses at a constantly controlled temperature, never higher than 107F. The beans are collected from the greenhouses after 7 to 10 days. The harvest is then evaluated by professional cuppers.
24 full-time employees reside at the estate. Though it’s rare, if temporary workers are needed, they’re hired from the nearby community. Not only are salaries here substantially higher than elsewhere in the region, but also, the estate provides its employees with comprehensive, ongoing training. On-site housing with electricity, water, and other amenities is supplied, as well as a work wardrobe. Further, the workers and their families share the eggs and milk produced on the farm, and their children are able to attend school. Illiterate adults are additionally offered tutoring and school supplies. The well-being of the plantation’s workers contributes not only to the quality of the coffee beans, but also to the well-being of the region.
This estate exemplifies Joy Brazil’s ideal of using the best of modern, responsible cultivation to preserve the deliciously unique history of a region and guarantee its future.
The following varieties will be available before you know it! Sao Joao Platinum, Sao Joao Premium, Sao Joao Raisin and Sao Joao Ulta Doux. For further information on this upcoming harvest, contact us.
