Humberto Cortez / La Fortuna

Humberto Cortez has spent decades tending the slopes of La Plata, a quiet region tucked high in the mountains of western Huila. His farm, La Fortuna, sits at 1,850 meters — remote, hard to reach, and as its name suggests, blessed with a kind of quiet luck.

Each harvest, Humberto pulps and ferments his cherries for 36 hours before letting them dry for nearly three weeks. The result is a coffee with poise and warmth, where layers of orange, apple, honey, and caramel weave together to create something both classic and alive.

His chosen variety, Caturra Chiroso, carries its own story of chance. Once thought to be a mutation of Caturra, it was later discovered to be a genetic relative of Ethiopia’s heirloom coffees — a link between Colombia’s traditions and coffee’s oldest roots.

Humberto’s work reminds us that the best outcomes are never entirely our own. Sometimes, the world hands you something rare, and the real art is in caring for it well.

The story doesn't end here. Explore more in our Learning Hub:

• Colombia: Where coffee learned to balance
  
• What is washed coffee? The clarity-focused processing method that defines specialty coffee