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Finca Bellavista

Popayan, southwest of Colombia, was a town of Indios conquered by Spaniards in 1537 to open up a route from Cartagena on the Altantic Cceanto Peru and Ecuador on the Pacific Ocean. The capital, located on the major arterial road, became an important city of administrative functions, rich in history, with Catholic Churches and monasteries built in the 17th century.

Popayan is a place where Jose Gumilla, a missionary priest, began coffee cultivation in 1736. Finca Bellavista is a new farm in Popayan. The owner, Ivan Tomas, used to work at a sugarcane farm for many years, and in 2000 he quit. Then he and his wife started coffee farming. They plant trees of various cultivars at different altitudinal locations. This time, for Grand Cru Café, Jose selected the coffee called Guayabal grown on the west slope of the mountain at an altitude of 1,935~1,950 meters (6,350~6,400 feet). Guayabal means a place planted with Guaba trees. In fact, at the location, there were fruit-bearing Guava trees as shade trees.

The Aroma Garcia Marquez Loves

Jose, assuming he might come across legendary coffee if he went to the ancient city of Popayan, found Bellavista. Ivon and his wife at their new farm grow the finest quality coffee while conserving the eco-system. Out of 44 hectares (190 acres) of the farm, an uncultivated portion of 7 hectares (17 acres) is preserved for research on biological diversity with the University of Popayan. The farm is dotted with natural springs of sweet water that Jose enjoys when he’s exploring the farm. It thrilled him to think of coffee washed in this naturally good-tasting water.

Ivon and his wife cultivate three varieties at different altitudes. Caturra planted at the upper location looked marvelous. Jose was specially attracted to Caturra in the section called Guyabal . Ivon, aware of Garcia Marquez, a Nobel Laureate, who wrote a lot about guava, planted the fruit trees on his farm. The coffee here has a fruity aroma. However, there was a problem if the coffee were to be selected for Grand Cru Cafe. Grand Cru Cafe must be sunlight, not machine, dried. The farm’s coffee was machine dried Jose left, saying the coffee did not meet his requirements.

In 2008 Jose visited Ivon again. At his last visit, Ivon and his wide welcomed Jose with guava and banana harvested in the farm. This time, upon his arrival, instead of taking him to the house, they took him by hand to the mill where a row of roofs of Colombian-style sun-drying facilities came into his view. Jose and Iron embraced one other without a word. Thank you, Ivon!