Ecuador Wonderwall Juan Peña Natural

As our first coffee from Ecuador, we consider it absolutely exceptional. This naturally processed Typica Mejorado is a true gem with a quality certification from Juan Peña – a legendary coffee producer, winning numerous awards year after year at his farm in Yunguilla.

If you possess a wild curiosity and a desire for something complex, this coffee will certainly not disappoint.

The Yunguilla Valley is a region inhabited by communities with deep indigenous roots, particularly the Cañari people, who lived in these lands even before the arrival of the Incas. Many traditions – including ancient agricultural techniques and spiritual beliefs – still influence the daily lives of residents. At the same time, the valley has experienced strong influences from mestizo culture, creating a unique fusion visible in its cuisine, festivals, and lifestyle.

Juan is a farmer from a multi-generational family, although he has been involved with coffee relatively recently. Previously, he cultivated long-stemmed roses, but around 2010, catastrophic weather conditions destroyed his flower plantations.

Fully dedicating himself to coffee, he began building a farm that was as healthy, resilient, and consciously planned horticulturally as possible. The farm features a perfectly managed plant nursery and a so-called "input garden." The latter is particularly interesting and demonstrates Juan's scientific, methodical approach to experimentation: he plants coffee trees at appropriate intervals and marks them according to the type of fertilization used, to precisely track the impact of nutrients on plant growth and fruit development.

On his land, Juan cultivates several varieties and actively experiments with processing methods. His approach to farming is meticulous, scientific, and full of curiosity, but also open to others – he shares space in his nursery with neighbors and employees and provides them with seedlings so they can develop their own crops.