San Cristobal, Alta Verapaz, Guatemala is characterized by its high humidity and continual rainfall, ultimately creating ideal conditions for coffee cultivation. This unique environment allows for an extremely slow maturation of the coffee cherry, developing a more structured and sugar ladened seed,which makes all the difference in the prevailing cup. Finca San Lorenzo, located in a literal cloud forest, is where Luis “Wicho” Valdés III grows a range of coffee varietals, including Caturra, Catuaí, Bourbon, Sachimor, Obata, and Tupí.
The family's growing journey began in the 1960s when Luis Valdés I purchased their first farm, Finca Santa Isabel. While starting at 10.5 hectares of land, the farm is now over 70 hectares. Sitting right beside Santa Isabel is Finca San Lorenzo, the farm which Wicho's father managed and purchased in the 1980s. During those early years of San Lorenzo, Wicho’s father shifted the family’s farming focus entirely to coffee cultivation while also committing to the preservation of the surrounding natural forest land.
At the time of San Lorenzo's purchase, Wicho was pursuing his degree in agricultural engineering. He would make weekly visits to Finca Santa Isabel and Finca San Lorenzo to learn about coffee production and agronomy practices. Now, over the past two decades, Wicho has dedicated himself to producing high-quality coffee on both farms and employs around 600 people from San Cristobal and neighboring communities. The dedicated management and careful harvesting that is standard on San Lorenzo, combined with the hard work of the entire team, create a uniquely complex and beautiful coffee that we can enjoy year after year.
