Cuba
Cuba’s Tobacco Route, Pinar Del Rio
Article and Photography by Steve Gillick
Cuba’s Minister of Tourism, Juan Carlos García Granda, waxes passionate about the importance of the Cuban cigar. After honoring two tobacco growers for the quantity and quality of their produce, he invited visitors to Cuba to explore the Ruta del Tobaco (Tobacco Route), to see the farms, meet and interact with the workers, and learn about Cuba’s history and culture. “This is something we don’t want to lose”.
And addressing the non-smokers in the room (including this writer), Granda emphasized, “we don’t promote smoking, but it’s part of our history; tied into the arrival of the Spanish and to Cuba-African folklore. Ultimately it’s an individual decision”.
And so we set off for the province of Pinar del Rio to explore the town of San Juan y Martínez in the Vuelta Abajo region, known for ideal conditions of soil, climate and humidity, and perfect for growing Black Tobacco, the kind used to make cigars. Behind signs imparting the message ‘A Cuba Ponle Curazon’ (‘You have to put your heart in Cuba’), we visited the warehouses and factories to discover the labor-intensive process in which an estimated 300 pairs of hands touch each leaf from the time the tobacco is planted, to the time the leaves are shipped to the respective cigar manufacturers. Our guide noted that quality control was “a key element in enjoying each puff”, as the tobacco leaves underwent the stages of production: humidifying, de-humidifying, fermentation, stacking, sprinkling, stripping the vein from the leaves, sorting, sizing, aging, and then shipping.
Down the road, we visited the Finca (farm) of Hector Luis Prieto. In 2008, at the age of 36, he became the youngest ‘Man of the Year’, for producing the largest yield of wrapper leaves, used in the outer layer of the cigar. Prieto took over the farm from his grandfather and father, and now his son and grandson are in the business. He spoke to us about the added value, for visitors (smokers and non-smokers alike), to get to know the people behind the scenes and learn about this important tradition. He spoke of the perfect Cuban combination: “a happy atmosphere of tobacco, playa (beaches) and rum”. And to emphasize the point we were treated to a cigar and rum pairing that featured a special drink he called “Aroma Magic”, made of coffee liqueur, tobacco syrup and rum.
The Ruta del Tobaco in Pinar del Rio provides insight and interaction with the production of tobacco leaves, where aroma, color, texture and taste define the quality of a Cuban cigar. And this, amidst a backdrop of tranquil, rural scenery, something the Tourism Minister called “the music of the environment”. It’s definitely a unique experience and something to include in your Cuba adventures.
