Episode 392 on Monday the 16th of May, 2016. Brazil Fazenda Passeio Natural Rubi.

The Vieira Ferreira family has specialised in coffee production for three generations and is now headed by Adolfo Vieira Ferreira, whose attention to detail and commitment to producing top class specialty coffee is second to none.

In order to guarantee quality, the farm employs a high number of skilled workers to carry out most of the production process by hand, from soil preparation for planting to hand-picking the ripe cherries. In return, the farm looks after its workers. Permanent workers and their families live on-site and are provided with schooling for their children, professional training and environmental education.

The farm also takes environmental sustainability seriously and abides by all Brazilian environmental protection laws. Its native forests are set aside as protected reserves and are often visited by tourists, school children and ecologists. The farm also regularly plants new trees, particularly around its water sources, in order to maintain the local ecosystem.

Passeio’s coffee is picked by hand only when the cherries reach an advanced stage of ripeness, to avoid processing green beans.

The farm cultivates several different varietals: this Rubi lot, a hybrid of Mundo Novo and Catuaí. This single varietal lot was harvested and processed separately from other lots, to maintain its own distinct characteristics.

In the cup think Kit Kat! Milk chocolate and wafer biscuit alongside cacao with a big body thanks to the natural processing. Have a break, have a Passeio Natural Rubi.

• Country: Brazil
• Region: Minas Gerais
• City: Alfenas
• Farm: Fazenda Passeio
• Owner: Adolfo Henrique Vieira Ferreira
• Varietal: Rubi
• Processing: Natural
• Altitude: 1,100–1,200 metres above sea level