1547 | Part 2 of 5 | The Terroir of Australian Coffee (Rebecca Zentveld)
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Episode Description
This is Part 2 of a five-part series on Australian Grown Coffee with Rebecca Zentveld, second-generation coffee farmer at Zentveld’s Coffee Farms and President of the Australian Grown Coffee Association.
In this episode, we move from history into the present and explore what makes Australian-grown coffee distinct in the cup.
Rebecca explains how coffee in Australia is grown in a cooler subtropical climate rather than in the tropical environments that define most coffee-producing countries. In regions such as northern New South Wales and parts of Queensland, coffee grows in rich volcanic soils and ripens over an extended cycle of around eleven months, which contributes to sweetness and flavor development in the fruit.
She describes the taste profile often associated with Australian-grown coffee as naturally sweet, chocolate-forward, and berry-like, with differences emerging between regions depending on climate, soil, and local conditions. The conversation also explores how some Australian coffees share similarities with certain Kenyan and Hawaiian coffees, while still expressing a distinctly Australian terroir.
We also examine the relationship between landscape and farming practicality. Because many Australian coffee farms are located on rolling land rather than steep mountain slopes, some are able to use machinery in ways that would not be possible in many traditional coffee-growing regions. Rebecca explains why that matters economically, particularly in a high-cost producing country.
The episode also introduces the varietals that have historically been grown in Australia, including K7 and Catuai, and discusses how newer cultivar trials are helping growers understand which varieties may be best suited to future Australian production. We also touch on processing methods, with Rebecca explaining why wet processing has traditionally been used in much of Australia due to the local rainfall patterns and lack of long dry harvest windows.
This conversation provides a deeper understanding of how climate, soil, altitude-equivalent conditions, varietals, and farm infrastructure all combine to shape the flavor and farming reality of Australian-grown coffee.
In the next episode, we explore the challenges Australian coffee farmers are facing right now, including costs, climate, scale, and the pressures shaping the future of the industry.
Connect with Rebecca Zentveld and Zentveld’s Coffee Farms here:
https://www.zentvelds.com.au/
https://www.instagram.com/zentveldscoffee/
https://www.agca.au/