Farm info

Fazenda Riacho das Varas is located in the city of Diamantina at the border of the in the Matas de Minas and Cerrado Mineiro coffee regions of Minas Gerais. Ricardo Hirofumi Yoshimatsu is the second generation of coffee producers in his family, continuing the work his parents began with much effort in 1975. At that time, the region was known as a prime agricultural zone well-suited to coffee production. 

Ricardo always believed it was possible to continue producing high-quality coffees. The love of coffee agriculture has motivated his efforts to find sustainable ways to add value to his production of coffee. 120 of the farm’s 122 hectares are planted with coffee at elevations between 1100 and 1200 meters above sea level.

Region

Matas de Minas

The Matas de Minas coffee region is in the southeastern part of the Minas Gerais state, just over the border from Espirito Santo, with Alto Caparaó as its most recognized municipality.

With a distinct topography featuring rugged mountain terrains and large variations in elevation (between 400 and 1100 meters above sea level), Matas de Minas makes a perfect region for growing specialty coffees. Because of its specific features, special care is taken in growing all the crops of the region. Coffee is harvested manually to select for only the most mature beans, the plants are planted with a wider spacing and to receive a more sunlight, only treated water is used for washing and pulping the beans, and drying is done meticulously and carefully. Together, these factors favor the production of the highest quality coffees, full-bodied and with great nuances in both aroma and flavors.