Syrupy nectarine coats the palate, followed by vivid orange acidity. The cup is balanced with rich dark chocolate, hints of spice, and a creamy mouthfeel.
Fazenda Santa Alina has been in the Da Silva Dias family since 1907, when brothers Joaquim Bernardes da Silva Dias and Lindolfo de Carvalho Dias – descendants of Portuguese settlers – purchased the land together. In those early years, the farm already had around 80,000 coffee trees, a third of which were Red Bourbon arabica. Through four generations, the farm passed down the family line, expanding and evolving with each era.
The story nearly took a very different turn. When Lucia Maria da Silva Dias – known to everyone as Tuca – was young, she left the farm to pursue a career as an architect in São Paulo. After the death of her grandfather, the family seriously considered renting the place out and stepping away from coffee entirely. Thankfully, that didn't happen. In 2010, Tuca returned to Vale de Grama alongside business partner Rodrigo Fernandes, and together they set about transforming the fazenda into something genuinely special.
Their goals were twofold: push the quality of the coffee upwards, and improve life for everyone on the farm. On the quality side, one of the most practical changes was repositioning the drying patios from the valley floor to higher elevations. It sounds simple, but it makes a real difference – moving the coffee away from the moisture that settles in the lower areas at night and in the early morning means more consistent drying and better cup quality. They've also invested heavily in infrastructure, adding a fully equipped coffee lab and new milling facilities to give the team proper tools for analysis and quality control.
The farm itself covers 895 hectares of predominantly hilly terrain near São Sebastião de Grama in the state of São Paulo, with 239 of those hectares dedicated to coffee. Annual production averages around 5,500 bags, the majority of which come from micro-lots – which is exactly how Fazenda Santa Alina has built its reputation for consistently producing some of the region's finest specialty coffees. The farm grows a wide range of varieties, from classic Bourbon and Mundo Novo to more adventurous additions like Geisha and Arara.
It's the Arara that's in your bag. Introduced in 2012 by Fundação Procafé after more than 15 years of research, Arara is a natural cross between Obatã and Yellow Catuaí. It produces yellow cherries that ripen more slowly than most varieties, allowing complex flavour compounds to build gradually. It's also highly resistant to leaf rust and other common coffee diseases, which makes it a smart long-term investment for producers. In competition, it's been remarkable – consistently scoring in the high 80s and low 90s, and winning the Brazilian Specialty Coffee Association's Aroma competition in 2019 with a score of 92.5.
The management philosophy at Santa Alina has shifted just as much as the coffee quality. Tuca moved the farm away from a top-down management structure, giving workers a direct voice in daily operations. Both permanent and seasonal employees benefit from housing improvements, educational courses, and regular social events. There's also a strong sustainability focus: solar panels have been installed and the farm participates in an active tree-planting programme, with native species like Cecropia, Ipê, and Palmito Juçara thriving alongside the eucalyptus plantation.
Cherries are harvested using a combination of hand-picking and mechanical methods, then separated by ripeness and spread on patios the same day. They're left to dry until they reach around 20% humidity before being transferred to mechanical dryers to reach the final target of 11% – a careful, measured process that ensures consistency in every bag.
- Country: Brazil
- State: São Paulo
- Region: São Sebastião de Grama
- Altitude: 1,100 – 1,400 m.a.s.l
- Producer: Lucia Maria da Silva Dias a.k.a. "Tuca"
- Farm: Santa Alina
- Farm size: 895 hectares
- Coffee growing area: 239 hectares
- Botanical cultivar: Arara
- Process: Natural
- Drying method: Patios & mechanical dryers