Although Rio Parana is a young brand, it was created on the basis of the Argentine tradition of cultivating and processing Ilex paraguariensis, which has been passed down from generation to generation and from which it draws wholeheartedly. Located in Misiones, in the far north-eastern tip of Argentina, on the border of three countries, the plantation is the epitome of tranquillity and rural idyll. Here, time stops. There is no room for haste. Everyone is kind and smiling to each other, and the issues involved in the production of yerba mate are approached with the utmost attention to detail. Every plant is cared for from the cuttings right through to the harvesting of the mature, ripe leaves. The harvested leaves and twigs are carefully selected and then subjected to smoke drying – just as the Guarani Indians did hundreds of years ago. Into the packet comes an aromatic dry product that, when brewed, shows its multifaceted, ambiguous face. 

...Now take a calabash filled with Rio Parana mate tea in your hand, take a sip through the bombilla, close your eyes and once again be transported to the peaceful Argentine countryside. Can you feel it?