Vila Velha do Cassiporé

Location: Rio Cassiporé, Brazil

Varietal: Coming soon.

Flavour notes: Aromatic liquorice and spices, with a tannic backdrop. Also, a sharp citrus note; with its astringency, it becomes the perfect accompaniment to a bold red wine.

Description

Despite the fact that wild cacao has been growing on the banks of the Cassiporé River for decades, it took an entire 4 years to transfer cacao out of the Vila Velha village after maker Luisa Abram first made contact with them – initial discussions were not enough to convince the residents to engage in the collection of its collection. It took Joao Dorismar, a former resident of Vila Velha, to return to the village and establish the beginnings of a cacao chain for mere samples to be sent. As the quality of the fermented beans was terrible, the Abrams-Banks family were invited to travel to the village and train 13 families of cacao farmers according to their fermentation guidelines – since, the quality of the product has increased significantly, with Luisa buying a tonne of cacao from there last year.

Harvest times: January – June

Harvest volume: 1 tonne

Number of farmers: 13 families

Hectares farmed: Coming soon.

Farming notes: This region, despite its difficult access, has much agricultural potential. 70 riverside families cultivate crops including banana, coconut, açaí, as well as their incredible cacao which is native to the Várzea Forest.

Fermentation and drying notes: Coming soon.

The cacao is wildly grown in the Amazon Forest. It is not planted or farmed the way man does. It grows where nature made it appear, in the shade of ancient trees and in the floodplains of the rivers, near river communities that are encouraged to maintain and protect the biodiversity of the rainforest. This way, work opportunities are created, providing new income sources for men and women and improving quality of life.The characteristics of the cacao may be different every year, according to how they are harvested.