Collaboration is at the heart of all the delicious coffees coming from Rio Brilhante—a partnership between two families and an unexpected synergy between Brazil and Guatemala. That last statement might seem odd—how on earth does Guatemala have anything to do with a coffee from Brazil? 

In the ’80s, Inácio Urban moved from Brazil’s southernmost state, Rio Grande do Sul, to Cerrado Mineiro and founded Rio Brilhante as a small, 20-hectare coffee farm. With plenty of agricultural experience but little experience in growing coffee, Inácio’s plan was simply to learn how to grow it. That open-minded spirit and desire to learn continue to this day. 

While touring Brazil to learn about its coffee production, renowned Guatemalan producer Josue Morales met the Urban family, and an unlikely union was formed. Connecting over their shared interest in microbiology as an agricultural solution to many production and quality challenges, Josue and his team at Los Volcanes Coffee designed, implemented, and managed production and processing protocols at Rio Brilhante, adapting their innovative approach to farming in Guatemala at Finca La Esperanza. 

Topázio is a hybrid variety known for its high productivity and resistance to host diseases—it’s a cross between Mundo Novo and Yellow Catuai and is named after the gemstone Topaz for the dark yellow color of its ripe fruit.