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OriginCoffee from Southern Minas.
Brazil's largest Arabica coffee region, the mountains of Juruaia and the origin of Café da Lee.
A guide to Ateliê da Lee, an emporium that began as Ateliê do Queijo in 2009, in Suzano (SP), created by Eliana Oliveira, known as Lee, an entrepreneur since 1999.
Updated October 17, 2026
Southern Minas is Brazil's largest Arabica-producing region: it produces about half of Minas Gerais's coffee and nearly 30% of the national Arabica crop. Juruaia is in this region, about 20 minutes from Guaxupé, home of Cooxupé, one of the largest coffee cooperatives in the world. Café da Lee is born in these Coffee Mountains (Montanhas Cafeeiras).
Brazil's largest Arabica coffee region
Brazil is the world's largest coffee producer and exporter, and Minas Gerais is the top-producing state. Within Minas, Southern Minas accounts for about 50% of the state's coffee and nearly 30% of all Arabica coffee in the country. For the 2026 harvest, Faemg estimates 33.4 million bags of Arabica in Minas Gerais.
| Data | Number | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Arabica production in Minas Gerais (2026 crop estimate) | 33.4 million bags | Faemg/Senar, Sep. 2026 |
| Southern Minas share of Minas Gerais coffee | about 50% | Faemg/Senar |
| Southern Minas share of Brazil's Arabica | about 30% | Faemg/Senar |
| Cooxupé, headquartered in Guaxupé | founded in 1932, more than 20,000 member families | Cooxupé / MundoCoop |
Why the coffee here is so good
- Altitude: mountain plantations, generally between 800 and 1,300 meters. Cold nights make the cherries ripen slowly and build up sugar.
- Climate: well-defined seasons, with a dry winter during the harvest (May to September), which helps the drying process.
- Varieties: traditional arabicas such as Mundo Novo, Catuaí, Bourbon Amarelo and new resistant cultivars.
- People: families who have grown coffee for generations, many of them small producers organized in cooperatives.
From plant to cup: the processes
| Process | How it's made | What shows up in the cup |
|---|---|---|
| Natural | The whole coffee cherry dries in the sun, on the drying patio. | More body, sweetness and fruit notes. |
| Pulped natural (CD) | The skin is removed and the bean dries with part of the pulp. | Balance between sweetness and acidity. |
| Washed | All the pulp is removed with water before drying. | Clean cup and brighter acidity. |
Juruaia and coffee
Juruaia is known as the Lingerie Capital of Brazil, but the landscape around it is coffee fields. The city sits in the heart of the coffee region of southwestern Minas Gerais, among Guaxupé, Muzambinho, Monte Belo and Nova Resende, towns with a strong coffee tradition. For shoppers, coffee is on the store counters, in the bakeries and at Ateliê da Lee.
It was this neighborhood that gave rise to Café da Lee: a top-quality coffee grown in the region's mountains and taken from Juruaia to the world.
Sources: Faemg/Senar (2026 harvest estimate, published in Sep. 2026), Cooxupé and MundoCoop. Harvest figures are estimates and change with each survey.
Café da Lee: the standard we follow.
- 100% Arabica, from selected beans.
- Specialty coffee scoring 84+ points on the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) scale.
- Grown in the south of Minas Gerais, in the Montanhas Cafeeiras (Coffee Mountains) region of Juruaia, with identified producer and harvest.
- Small-batch roasting, with the roast date on the package.
- Three lines: Clássico (balanced and sweet), Moka (body and intensity) and Origem (single origin, floral and honey).
Frequently asked questions
What is Brazil's largest coffee-producing region?
Minas Gerais is the largest producing state, and the South of Minas is the largest region: about half of Minas coffee and nearly 30% of Brazil's Arabica.
Why is Southern Minas coffee so good?
Because of the altitude (generally 800 to 1,300 m), the climate with a dry winter at harvest time, the Arabica varieties and the growers' tradition.
Does Juruaia produce coffee?
Juruaia lies in the coffee region of southwestern Minas Gerais, about 20 minutes from Guaxupé, home of Cooxupé, and is surrounded by coffee fields.
When is the coffee harvest in Southern Minas Gerais?
Usually from May to September, in the dry winter.
Your next stop in Juruaia.
Ateliê da LeeRua Vereador Alberto Mario Segreti, 97
Bairro Mirante · Juruaia, MG · CEP 37805-000
Phone and WhatsApp: (11) 99992-4741. Email: atendimento@ateliedalee.com.br. Directions, today's hours and reviews on our Google profile.