This coffee comes from Fazenda Rainha (pronounced “hai-nya”), an award-winning, 280-hectare estate situated in Brazil’s Vale da Grama—an ancient volcanic valley that spans the borderlands between São Paulo State and the state of Minas Gerais. Located just across the São Paulo side of the border, Fazenda Rainha has consistently been a finalist in the Brazil Cup of Excellence competition, placing more than 10 times since 2000, including being crowned champion in both 2011 and 2023. 

Because of the region’s rolling hills, mechanical harvesting is impossible, and all coffee at Fazenda Rainha is hand-picked by the farm’s full-time, year-round employees. All workers live on the farm itself, eliminating the need for seasonal hiring. In addition to housing, farm workers are provided with health and dental care, educational opportunities, and access to a chapel designed by Oscar Niemeyer—the world-renowned architect and one of the pioneers of modern architecture. 

Lucas Antônio Gonçalves Franco, an agricultural engineer specializing in coffee, is the general director at Fazenda Rainha. The farm is certified by both the BSCA and the Rainforest Alliance. In addition to growing exceptional coffee, Fazenda Rainha also cultivates olives and produces its own extra virgin olive oil, which is rapidly gaining a reputation as some of the best in Brazil.