As its name implies, Starbucks® Colombia Nariño coffee comes from a region in southeast Colombia on the border with Ecuador known as Nariño. The Andes Mountain Range, which begins in southern Chile and Argentina, enters Colombia through Nariño and crosses the country from south to north.

Nariño's unique characteristics create an exceptional coffee growing climate. The mountain area gets more than 70 inches of rain per year and plenty of sunshine. The region's volcanic soil has a high percentage of organic material.

"For us, the heart of Colombian coffee sits in the mountains of Nariño," said Leslie Wolford, Starbucks sr. green coffee specialist.  "Coffee grows at elevations higher than 6,500 feet, where warm tropical days and cool nights let the beans develop slowly."

 "What I like the most about growing coffee is the love I put into harvesting and drying it," said María de la Cruz, a Nariño coffee farmer.

Growing up with parents who were coffee growers, she developed a passion for agriculture at an early age. De la Cruz and her husband acquired the "La Esperanza Farm" fourteen years ago. 

"I do everything that needs to be done in order for the coffee to have good quality," she said. "It's all about harvesting with love."

Colombia Nariño is a medium-bodied coffee with a juicy acidity, herbal notes and a walnut-like taste. Starbucks coffee educators describe it as being both "approachable and complex." That makes Colombia Nariño coffee an ideal introduction to Starbucks® coffee and a favorite of coffee aficionados.

About Starbucks

Since 1971, Starbucks Coffee Company has been committed to ethically sourcing and roasting high-quality arabica coffee. Today, with stores around the globe, the company is the premier roaster and retailer of specialty coffee in the world. Through our unwavering commitment to excellence and our guiding principles, we bring the unique Starbucks Experience to life for every customer through every cup. To share in the experience, please visit us in our stores or online at www.starbucks.com.

For more information on this news release, contact the Starbucks Newsroom.

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