Fontana, Green Coffee

Like other coffees by Grossi family, Fontana has its own story to tell. José Carlos Grossi moved from the state of Paraná in the early 1970s and became one of the first growers in the Cerrado Mineiro region. But the family's roots go back even further. The name Fontana refers to the Italian town of Fontanafredda in the Padua region, where the Grossi family originates. José's great-grandfather, Luigi Grossi, left Italy with his family in 1887 and travelled to the Brazilian state of Sao Paulo to work on coffee plantations. Fontana coffee therefore symbolises the family's courage in leaving their native country for the other side of the world in search of a better life.

Fontana evokes flavours and aromas of dark chocolate, caramel and nuts. It has a low citrus acidity. The characteristic feature of this coffee is its full body, which particularly stands out in combination with milk, and it's also perfect for espresso or making your own blend. After sipping this coffee you will have a long and heavy aftertaste. Fontana has undergone a natural process, which means that the coffee in the cherries is spread out on concrete drying patios immediately after harvesting to avoid the risk of quality loss. The coffee is then finally dried mechanically, ensuring uniformity during the drying process. The coffee remains in the dryers until it reaches a humidity of 11 %.

Cerrado de Minas is the first Brazilian coffee-growing region to be given the status of designation of origin (Cerrado Mineiro), giving it a status similar to wine-growing regions. With an altitude of 800-1300 masl and well-defined seasons (humid summers and mild, dry winters), this region is very suitable for growing coffee. Popular species here are Mundo Novo and Catuaí.

The Grossi family started growing coffee as far back as 1879. Today's family business was founded in 1972 by José Carlos Grossi. The beginnings were anything but ideal, as he faced difficult conditions for growing coffee, but immediately after the first successful harvests he took a step forward. he created experimental plantations where, to this day, Grossi & Filhos cooperates with research institutes to find out which minerals and organic compounds are best suited to the soil and to a particular type of coffee tree. This knowledge is applied to the cultivation of coffee, resulting in an exceptionally tasty cup of coffee with unforgettable aromas.

The harvest is done mechanically and manually, and the coffee is organically processed on the same day on the premises where little or no water is used. The coffee is then spread on a concrete platform, and the drying of certain coffee varietals is afterwards completed in three stages in mechanical dryers, which enhances their flavors and ensures the uniform quality of the coffee beans.