Espana Estate

It's been a tough decade for El Salvadorian growers, the hardest hit Central American growing region serously impacted by a fungus call coffee leaf rust. In the depth of the crisis it is estimated that coffee production was down by up to 60-75% - El Salvador was and is one of the worst hit Central American coffee producing countries. Coffee leaf rust is a disease caused by the fungus Hemileia vastatrix, a fungus which more commonly attacks Typica and Bourbon coffee varieties such as Caturra, Catuai, Pache and many other varieties commonly found throughout Central America. The fungal disease commonly attacks older leaves but during severe attacks (brought on by a myriad of factors) the young leaves may also be infected. The disease causes a heavy loss of leaves which results in production losses and in some cases the tree itself can be rendered completely bare void of any production. The disease has been linked to poor crop management, a lack of fertilization, inadequate use of fungicides, climate variations, aging coffee plantations and other factors that weaken coffee plants that make them susceptible to attack. The disease is most commonly spread by the wind meaning that even some of the most well kept and terroir blessed farms can be impacted - perhaps just to a lesser degree. Finca España is owned by Doña Nora Lemus de Diaz Nuila. Fourth generation of coffee producers from the Apaneca - Ahuachapan coffee region in El Salvador. Doña Nora inherited Finca España from her grandfather Don Rodrigo Herrera (Papa Higo) who had a long tradition of coffee producing in El Salvador. She has been working her farm with a renovation program to have all her old farm replanted with Bourbon and Pacas varieties to be able to have a sustainable coffee operation where a great emphasis is put into the quality of the coffee she picks and produces from her farm.