Come along for a glimpse into what goes on at Rio Brilhante during peak harvest season. In July of 2026, we were invited by Los Volcanes Coffee to get a behind-the-scenes look at how Rio Brilhante's coffees are produced, processed, and prepared for export before finally becoming part of Ruby's Portage Blend. A quality harvest is no small feat and every step is treated with intention, considering everything from the seed to the customer.
It’s peak harvest season here in the Cerrado Mineiro region of Brazil. Harvesters are working around the clock to bring in coffee fruit while conditions are right and the cherries are ripe. 2 or 3 passes will be made on each plot throughout the 4 month harvest season.
Coffee trees are carefully laid out for optimal sun exposure and for ease of harvest. Most harvest is done mechanically, though there is also hand picking of young plants.
The unsorted harvest has ripe fruit in various stages of drying, as well as some unripe fruit. The “raisin” or partially dried cherry, is optimal, as sugars begin concentrating on the tree, preserving flavor.
Unripe cherries and floaters are sorted out and diverted in the wet mill. Even these have a market, however, and will not be wasted.
After sorting, each lot is dried on the patio for 7-10 days until they reach 22% moisture. To control temperature and rate of drying and prevent cooking the seed, they are raked, turned, and periodically mounded into large piles.
The final stage of drying occurs in mechanical towers or drums. The quality team monitors each drum carefully and determines when the lot is finished and ready to rest.
Rio Brilhante provides two meals a day for their workers (there are 90+ year-round employees and 113 seasonal). Here I got to enjoy a typical regional meal with traditional Brazilian hospitality.
Rio Brilhante produces multiple tiers of quality, including large specialty blender lots with curated flavor profiles to prized microlots and many varieties that are unique to Brazil. In the cupping lab, the Los Volcanes and Rio Brilhante teams prepared 12 samples showcasing a range of regional character.
At the end of the day, there is a lot to reflect on. Brazil and Rio Brilhante are not spared from the challenges faced by coffee producers across the world. Labor issues, climate disruption, and volatile markets make a visible impact. I am inspired by the work that is being done here to mitigate these challenges while producing beautiful coffees.