Hacienda Miramonte

Costa Rica has long been known as a country that produces good coffee. Naranjo, the region that Hacienda Miramonte sits in, has produced excellent coffees for the last several years. However, Hacienda Miramonte came to be long before the notion of “specialty coffee” was dreamt of. The farm was founded by a woman who broke down the barriers of her time. In 1917, Lucila Duval de Morales decided to plant coffee. Her determination was passed down to future generations and set an example that inspired her family for generations to come. Today, Lucila’s great-grandson, Ricardo Gurdian is the owner and operator, running the plantation with the same diligence and passion for coffee with which his ancestor started. Ricardo now counts on his daughter, Viviana, to continue the family business. 

We’ve been proud partners of Hacienda Miramonte for over 5 years. Our long-running partnership has resulted in the Zingerman’s Grand Reserve lot – meaning some of the coffee on the farm is ours alone.

We can select exactly which varietals it will use at the point of harvest and the conditions under which it will be processed, milled and sorted.

Our commitment at this level supports the entire production process, from seed to cup, by exchanging the beans at a premium price, streamlining the supply chain process and  co-supporting a “Community Chest” fund – dedicated to assisting any of Hacienda Miramonte’s employees that may be facing personal hardship. The fund has been used to replace a picker’s roof, get a new smile for another picker, and to give seasonal migrant pickers a bountiful start in the country – groceries, supplies, etc. 

Most farmers are aware that they would like to produce better coffee but have trouble executing. Hacienda Miramonte is minimally sized, so that allows them to do things for their workers that other farmers cannot, including providing housing, access to healthcare, humane living conditions, and more.