Lot NW: Sítio Bela Vista

Alexandre Emerich, the administrator at Sítio Bela Vista Cafés, is a second-generation coffee producer. When listing some facts about Alexandre as a producer, at first glance it may seem he is the CEO of a large company, with executives acting strategically in different areas. After all, his beans have been used by the Chilean Coffee Roasting champion in 2019, by Mandrake Tostaduría, they are roasted and served at the Cafezal coffee shop in Milan, Italy, elected one of the top 3 independent coffee shops in Europe by the 2018/2019 European Coffee Awards, by David Coelho (7g Roaster), three-time Portuguese Barista champion (2014, 2016 and 2017), by Jonathan Piazarolo (Trentino Café Especiais), Brazilian Coffee Roasting Champion (2019), by Manuel Chavarría (Mr. Chava), Andaluz Barista champion (2019) and Iberian National Barista champion (2019).
In addition to these recognitions is the appreciation by customers of diverse Brazilian and European roasteries and coffee shops, such as Heartland (Conwy, Wales), Sgt. Martinho (Lisbon/Portugal), Have a Coffee (Aabenraa/Denmark), San Jorge (Saragoça/Spain), Fábrica (Porto/Portugal), Papercup (Glasgow/Scotland) and Randall (Madrid/Spain). Also, his coffee was chosen as the official coffee for the 1st Joinville Filtered Coffee Tournament (2019) by Terra Natal Torrefação (Santa Catarina) and for the 1st Zaragoza V60 Tournament (Spain, 2018).
Borin in Rio de Janeiro, he was raised in the Campo Grande neighborhood and, between school and playing in the street, he saved up coins to go by train to Maracanã on Sundays to watch Zico enchant Brazil and the world with his soccer. At home, his mother zealously roasted and ground coffees from Alto Caparaó, his father’s birthplace. Still a child, he did not know that this affection for the beans, which he witnessed daily, would change his life.
In the 90s, he bought a small farm and went the opposite way from his family: he moved to the countryside of Minas Gerais. Difficult times left him no way out: he needed to commercialize his coffees well. He buckled down hard on the production of his transformative beans.
He graduated with a degree in agricultural business management and the rise of Caparaó as a specialty coffee region helped him see a way forward in the segment. Ingenious, he studied and researched the best way to produce the best beans. He got certified as a Q-Grader (a professional who grades specialty coffees following SCA – Specialty Coffee Association – criteria) and has invested in Sítio Bela Vista, located in Alto Jequitibá, MG, in the Caparaó Mountains, a property certified by 4C, BSCA, Certifica Minas and the Matas de Minas region. His production is artisan and respects workers and the environment.
It is true that Alexandre’s trajectory is an inspiration for many, a true case of success as a human being and a resilient entrepreneur with the patience to await the divine “right time.” Between raking the coffee lots on the patio by hand, to name a few, there are many moments that, even without realizing it, make us cry and believe that professional dedication and compassion for others form the ideal path for the taste of life. Like his idol “Quintino's Little Rooster” did with soccer, now it is Alexandre who is enchanting the world.
Sítio Bela Vista is a family farm. Women are involved with coffee production. Alexandre’s wife, Liliane, handles the farm’s finances and Rejane, 26, his eldest daughter, takes care of the roastery together with his son, Marcus Vinícius, 24.
The coffee was wet processed as pulped natural, honey.
Alexandre prioritizes production of specialty coffees to the maximal extent possible.
Certification
Certifica Minas
Number: 769/2023
Valid Until: 26 January 2025