Our Visit to Antioquia, Colombia: Home of Ventola Coffee

Rambling up and down steep, narrow paths among coffee plants outside Antioquia, Colombia,  the conversation comes easy with producer Felipe Trujillo of Ventola Coffee. 

One tree, one cup. 

It strikes me as we break down the rough numbers of quality specialty coffee together - depending on the varietal and conditions, a coffee tree harvested will yield a cup of coffee after it has been picked, gone through drying processes, exportation, roast, and brew. 

Because of the loss incurred before it can find its home in a cup, Felipe explains that he sees his job as preserving the life of the coffee for as long as possible, in as good of condition as possible. 

This means he and his team pay meticulous attention to every detail along the way - when is the coffee bean at its peak ripeness for picking? ; who has the most experienced eye for sorting what has been picked to ensure quality? ; what are the best ways to wash, ferment, and dry each harvest based on climate conditions and kinds of sugars and acids that make its natural flavors pop? 

The quest to preserve the quality in coffee led Ventola to establish a micromill that can process the beans while incurring the least amount of damage to them, and they've even won a national award for their innovative methods in the conservation of water. I was fortunate enough to meet many members of Ventola coffee, from those picking the fruit off the tree to the warehouse manager. Their passionate dedication and craftsmanship was evident at every step in the process.

Many hands. Many trees. One cup.