Torres - the men who made Spain's wine great

The Torres family is probably the most important name for viticulture in Spain. But the importance of Torres for Spanish wines did not come to an end overnight. It all started with Jaime Torres, who went to Cuba in the middle of the 19th century and tried his luck. In 1870 he returned to Spain as a made man with plenty of money in his pockets and started in the wine business with his brother, a winemaker.

Not far from Vilafranca del Penedès they built up their winery, but it was severely damaged during the Spanish Civil War. His son, Miguel Torres Carbó, finally rebuilt the Torres winery in 1940.

Up to this point, the wine history of Torres is very dramatic, but has not yet had a great impact on Spain's wine landscape.

1940 - the year of the turnaround

The year is 1940, France is under German occupation and wine production is on the ground. Miguel Torres Carbó takes the opportunity to travel to the USA and promote his wines, which he has only recently stopped selling in casks and started bottling himself.

One year later, in 1940, another Miguel Torres - Miguel Augustin Torres - is born. As little Miguel grew up, the Miguel Torres winery continued to expand. During this time, three Torres wines were created: Coronas, Viña Sol and Sangre del Toro, which are still Spanish wine classics today.

Miguel began studying chemistry in Barcelona at the age of 16 and two years later went to Burgundy in France, where he studied oenology and viticulture in Dijon. At 21 Miguel A. Torres is already back in Catalonia and joins the Torres family winery.

The golden 60s of Torres

Miguel A. Torres brings the most modern cellar technology to Torres' halls in the mid-1960s and plants both French and German grape varieties in Spain. Valuable stainless steel tanks, temperature-controlled fermentation and of course grape varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot as well as Riesling and Gewürztraminer find their way into the winery and the Spanish wine world through Miguel A. Torres.

Miguel was one of the first in Spain to start planting the vines, while most of the Spanish winegrowers at that time still let their vines grow in bush form.

Miguel Torres pays off, because within the 1960s he increases sales of Torres wines from 20,000 cases and a handful of sales countries to 280 million dollars turnover in 150 countries.

Winegrowing legend Torres - awarded worldwide

Torres' pioneering spirit has been recognised by critics, wine connoisseurs and journalists all over the world. In addition to just about every wine encyclopaedia, Miguel Torres can also be found as Man of the year in the Decanter and honoured for his life's work in the annals of the International Wine Challenge. The wine enthusiast also honoured Miguel Torres with the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012.

Torres wines - at home anywhere in Spain

Besides Catalonia, Torres has made a name for itself in many regions of Spain. Among them

• Priory (Salmos, Perpetual, Secret del Priorat)
• Rueda (Camino de Magarín, Verdeo)
• Ribera del Duero (Celeste)
• Rioja (Altos Ibericos)
• Toro (Sangre de Toro)
• Penedés (Coronas, Gran Coronas, Vina Sol, Atrium, Waltraud, Mas La Plana, Fransola, Reserva Real, Bellaterra)
• Conca de Barberà (Milmanda, Grans Muralles, Sons de Prades)
• Rías Baixas (Pazo de Bruxas)
• Costers del Segre (Purgatori)