Sitio Colina

Learn more about this coffee

Located in the mountains of Poço Fundo, in Minas Gerais, Sitio Colina reflects more than forty years of dedication to coffee by Luiz Scalco and his family.

This small farm, inherited in 2012 after three generations of coffee producers, is committed to limited production focused entirely on quality as the only path to long-term sustainability.

Together with his wife Ana and their son Luiz Jr., the Scalco family carefully oversees every detail of cultivation with a precise and thoughtful approach.

The farm is part of Barreiro dos Francos, a community known for its strong collaborative spirit. Producers share resources, exchange knowledge, and organise the harvest together in order to optimise costs.

This cooperative model not only improves efficiency, but also strengthens the social fabric of the community and helps secure the future of coffee in the region.

Meet the producer

Sitio Colina: family tradition and classic Brazilian coffee profile

A coffee designed for everyday enjoyment

Some coffees aim to surprise from the very first sip with exotic profiles and experimental fermentations, while others find their value in precision, balance and the ability to deliver a comforting cup time after time. Sitio Colina belongs firmly to the latter.

Grown in the mountains of Minas Gerais, Brazil, this coffee stands out for its classic and beautifully structured flavour profile: sweet notes of stone fruit and almond, a chocolate base and a caramel background that brings depth and a creamy mouthfeel to the cup. Its mild acidity and lingering finish make it an especially versatile and approachable coffee for daily drinking.

Thanks to its structure and natural sweetness, it performs particularly well as espresso, in bean-to-cup machines and in the moka pot, where it develops a round, balanced and highly comforting profile.

The story behind Sitio Colina

Behind this coffee is the Scalco family, who have dedicated generations to coffee cultivation in the region of Poço Fundo, in Sul de Minas. Luiz Scalco has spent more than forty years working these lands alongside his wife Ana and their son Luiz Jr., maintaining a deep connection to both the agricultural rhythm of the farm and the pursuit of quality coffee.

The farm, Sitio Colina, was inherited in 2012 from Luiz’s father, who devoted more than fifty years of his life to coffee production. That sense of continuity is reflected in the family’s philosophy: small-scale production, careful attention to detail and a long-term commitment to sustainability.

Rather than increasing volume, the family has focused on continually improving quality, viewing excellence as the only viable way to offset rising production costs and secure the future of the farm. That philosophy is evident in the meticulous care given to every stage of cultivation and processing.

Minas Gerais and the strength of coffee-growing communities

Minas Gerais is one of Brazil’s most important coffee-producing regions and also one of its most diverse. Its mountains, moderate elevations and stable climate create ideal conditions for coffees with sweetness, clarity and balance — characteristics that have made Brazilian coffee a long-standing reference within specialty coffee.

Sitio Colina sits at 1,150 metres above sea level and grows Yellow and Red Catuai varieties, both widely recognised in Brazil for their productivity and ability to produce sweet, rounded cup profiles.

This lot is processed using the natural method, a traditional approach in many Brazilian coffee regions where the whole coffee cherry is dried before the outer layers are removed. This process often enhances body, creamy texture and notes of chocolate, ripe fruit and nuts — all clearly present in this coffee.

Yet one of the most interesting aspects of Sitio Colina lies not only within the farm itself, but also within the community that surrounds it.

Barreiro dos Francos: cooperation as a model for the future

Sitio Colina is part of Barreiro dos Francos, a rural community known for its strong cooperative spirit. Here, small producers work together to share resources, knowledge and equipment that would otherwise be difficult to sustain individually.

During harvest season, families coordinate schedules and labour in order to reduce costs and improve efficiency. They also share machinery, storage facilities and technical expertise, creating a support network that strengthens the long-term stability of small coffee farms throughout the region.

This collaborative model has become an example for neighbouring coffee-growing communities across Sul de Minas, demonstrating how cooperation can play a fundamental role in preserving the future of coffee production for smallholder farmers.

In every cup of Sitio Colina there is more than just a classic Brazilian flavour profile: there are generations of experience, family dedication and an entire community working together to build a sustainable future through coffee.