Rafael Vinhal
Rafael Vinhal is the eldest son of Alfonso and Marcélia and represents the third generation of farmers on this family farm. He is responsible for the commercial development of the farm and the Vinhal brand. He has never exported directly before but now it is one of his major projects. Brazil operates mainly on the basis of a coffee monopoly and buying cooperatives, direct trade is still quite new here. Rafael is from the generation of farmers who are interested in where their coffee goes, which roasters work with their coffee and how does the final product of several months of hard work look like.
COUNTRY
Brazil
REGION
Cerrado Mineiro, Minas Gerais
FARMS
Fazenda Estrela and Fazenda Recanto
ALTITUDE
980 – 2500 m
SIZE OF THE FARM
200 ha
COFFEE VARIETIES
Red Bourbon, Yellow Catuai, Red Catuai, Catucai, Mondo Novo, Icatu, Topazio, IBC12, Geisha, Pacamara
ABOUT THE FARM
“The Vinhal family’s coffee-related history began with my grandfather “Seu Zico” or simply Mr. Zico in the 1970s. Mr. Zicoe was a very charismatic and kind gentleman. It was he who, with his own hands, planted the first coffee seeds from which today’s family business, Vinhal Cafés Artesanais, could grow.”
Since 2007, the Vinhals have been growing a selection of coffees and since this year they have been focusing more on quality and certification.
“We grow coffee on the Fazenda Estrela and Fazenda Recanto farms, two properties in Serra do Salitre in the Cerrado Mineiro region. Over the years we have obtained Rainforest Alliance, 4C and Certifica Minas certification, adopting the best practices in line with the principles of sustainability, respect for people and the environment. We are a family business and everyone who works for us has fallen completely in love with coffee. We are also members of the Brazilian Select Coffee Association (BSCA).”
ABOUT THE PROCESSES
Rafael is a great experimenter, combining different fermentations to achieve exclusive coffee microlots from otherwise commonly grown varieties. The flavors that these coffees offer are truly exceptional and diverse. They can be chocolate covered cherries, coconut milk, or even cinnamon cookies. What’s more, Rafael is such a pro that he can replicate these processes year after year.
Vinhal Floral lemon grass (LOT BR-22-032)
This year Rafael also sold us this fantastic complex microlot, which he called “floral lemon grass”. This Topazio Arabica comes from sector 3 of the Fazenda Recanto farm. Rafael processed it as a 3x fermented fully washed lot. After mechanical picking and sorting by floating, the coffee cherries were fermented aerobically “dry” for 56 hours. That is, in whole cherries free in the air. Then, to prevent the temperature from rising too much, the coffee was cooled rapidly with cold water a so-called thermal shock. A second fermentation followed for 196 hours the cherries were fermented anaerobically and also without water. After this time, there was another thermal shock and then dehulling. The third fermentation was also anaerobic, but this time in water for 120 hours. Finally, the coffee was centrifuged and dried for 21 days.
Vinhal Cocada (LOT BR-22-033)
Rafael once again delighted us with his favorite microlot, which we call “coconut”, he named it after his favorite Brazilian sweet Cocada. It’s the Catuai 144 variety, which Rafael processed as a 2x fermented fully washed coffee. After mechanical picking and sorting by floating, the coffee cherries were fermented aerobically for 30 hours “dry”, that is, in whole cherries free in the air. Then, in order not to raise the temperature too much, the coffee was cooled rapidly with cold water, a so-called thermal shock. The coffee was then stripped of the skins and a second stage of fermentation, anaerobic, i.e. without air, took place in water, lasting a total of 190 hours. Finally, the coffee was centrifuged and dried for 16 days. The flavor profile of the coffee is that of coconut milk, almond and lime, which has become a kind of Rafael’s signature lot.
Vinhal Grape Starfruit (LOT BR-22-034)
Not to be outdone by Rafael, this year we also took this juicy “grape starfruit”. This is Catuaí 99 and is processed as a 3x fermented honey coffee. After mechanical harvesting and sorting by floating, the coffee cherries were fermented aerobically “dry” for 60 hours. That is to say, in whole cherries freely in the air. Then, in order to prevent the temperature from rising too much, the coffee was cooled rapidly with cold water a so-called thermal shock. The second stage of fermentation also took place in the cherries, anaerobically and again dry for 175 hours. The cherries were then peeled and fermented anaerobically for a further 120 hours. The coffee was dried for 19 days.
Vinhal Honey Propolis (LOT BR-22-035)
One of this year’s Rafael microlots is this “honey propolis”. It is a variety of Topazio, which Rafael processed as 2x fermented honey coffee. After mechanical harvesting and sorting by floating, the coffee cherries were fermented aerobically “dry” for 72 hours. That is, in whole cherries free in the air. Then, so that the temperature did not rise too much, the coffee was cooled rapidly with cold water a so-called thermal shock. Before the second fermentation, the cherries were peeled with minimal loss of mucilage. The second fermentation was carried out anaerobically for 200 hours under dry conditions. Finally, the coffee was centrifuged and dried for 20 days.
Vinhal Jabuticaba jam (LOT BR-22-036)
Rafael named this super fruity microlot Jabuticaba jam after the Brazilian fruit jabuticaba. The Catucaí 2SL variety is processed using the double fermentation method and is a natural. After mechanical harvesting and floating sorting, the coffee cherries were fermented aerobically “dry” for 36 hours. That is to say, in whole cherries freely in the air. Then, so that the temperature did not rise too much, the coffee was cooled rapidly with cold water a so-called thermal shock. A second fermentation followed for 122 hours the cherries were fermented anaerobically and also without water. After this time, another thermal shock, centrifugation and drying for 23 days.
Vinhal Floral lemon grass peaberry (LOT BR-22-037)
This lot is a selection of grains from the previous micro lot Floral lemon grass. The profile is slightly different. However, great as always! And a hot tip from Chicas Industry for this year. This Topazio Arabica comes from sector 3 of the Fazenda Recanto farm. Rafael processed it as a 3x fermented fully washed lot. After mechanical picking and floating sorting, the coffee cherries were fermented aerobically “dry” for 56 hours. That is, in whole cherries free in the air. Then, to prevent the temperature from rising too much, the coffee was cooled rapidly with cold water a so-called thermal shock. A second fermentation followed for 196 hours the cherries were fermented anaerobically and also without water. After this time, there was another thermal shock and then dehulling. The third fermentation was also anaerobic, but this time in water for 120 hours. Finally, the coffee was centrifuged and dried for 21 days.
Vinhal Estate blend natural (LOT BR-22-038)
Because you can never have enough good coffee, this year we also have quality blends from Vinhala Farm. Alfonso Vinhal, Rafael’s dad, does his job really well. This lot refers to the long tradition of coffee production on the family farm Vinhal Cafés Artesanais. The blend of Yellow and Red Catuaí, Icatu, Catucai, Topázio and IBC12 varieties is processed using the classic dry method. That is to say, the grains are spread out on concrete pads after being harvested in the husk and dried in direct sunlight. Regular turning is, of course, a matter of course. After drying, the beans are stripped of their skins and processed for export.
