Vegas de Santiago: quality begins in the field

For over 100 years, farmers in the region of Santiago de Puriscal, Costa Rica have grown the tobacco for Vegas de Santiago cigars in the central foothills of the land. The soil is rich and fertile thanks to the surrounding volcanoes, and cultivation extends to a height of 1,100 metres. In the plantations, all the steps in the cultivation process are performed by hand and according to the traditions of the Huetar Indians, who used to consider tobacco a sacred plant. One of the most important factors in ensuring the quality of a good cigar is in the way the tobacco is harvested, dried and fermented. Several years ago, Don Luis Santana Lamas joined the company. Formerly head of production for H.Upmann, he brought with him his know-how as a great Cuban master in the art of tobacco cultivation and manufacturing. Until his last breath, he shared his experience, gained over a lifetime of passionate devotion to the world of cigars, with the entire staff of Santiago Vegas. His expertise enabled us to improve seed selection and the techniques used to cultivate and harvest tobacco leaves, to master the steps of drying and fermentation, and of course, to roll exceptional cigars. Today, Vegas de Santiago cigars consist of a filler, a binder, and a wrapper made from tobaccos especially selected for their quality. These tobaccos are produced either from the Vegas de Santiago Costa Rica plantations or from neighbouring countries such as Nicaragua, Ecuador, Peru and the Dominican Republic. Once selected, the cigars are rolled entirely by hand. To obtain a perfect combustion, the cigars are stored in cedar wood cellars, perfectly air-conditioned, for at least three months. They are then shipped to the four corners of the world. Considering all stages of production, it therefore takes about four years to produce a Vegas de Santiago cigar.