Familia Torres: learn about the history of this Spanish winery and its Celeste Crianza wine

One of the most representative wineries in Spain is undoubtedly Torres. It is a mix of history, tradition, modernity and commitment to sustainability with the future in mind. Let’s see the history of 5 generations leading this winery that has wines and vineyards from different appellations of origin throughout Spain.

The first references of the family as winegrowers date back to 1559, but it was not until 1870 when the brothers Jaime and Miguel Torres Vendrell founded the winery in Vilafranca del Penedès, with an export vocation.

Since then, each generation has successfully faced the challenges imposed by the historical and social context and has contributed to the development of the family winery, combining innovation and respect for tradition, with the firm will to endure over time.

Emigrated to Cuba in 1860, Jaime Torres Vendrell (1843-1904) made his fortune on the island thanks to maritime trade and other business initiatives before returning to Catalonia to associate with Miguel (1832-1910), his winegrower brother. Thus, in 1870 ¨Casa Torres y Compañía, Cosechero y Exportadora de Vino¨ was born and after a few years it began its expansion.

In 1928, Juan Torres Casals (1865-1932), son of Miguel, began to produce soft and aromatic aged brandies aged in oak, from a selection of the best white wines from Penedés, laying the foundations of a long-established tradition to the art of distillation.

His son and successor, Miguel Torres Carbó (1909-1991), in 1939, a few months after the end of the Spanish Civil War, the family winery was destroyed during the bombardments that targeted the neighboring Vilafranca del Penedès train station. Torres Carbó not only managed to rebuild the facilities in a short time, but also made the right decision to start bottling wines, which allowed him to consolidate the Torres brand and expand throughout the world.

His son, Miguel Agustín Torres Riera (1941), joined the family business in 1962 after training in viticulture and oenology in France to, from an innovative and daring position, make Familia Torres wines a paradigm of quality, respect for land and avant-garde oenology. In the mid-1960s, he introduced French varieties that gave rise to wines such as Mas La Plana (DO Penedès).

Under his direction, they began their international expansion with wine projects in Chile (1979) and California (1982), the latter led by his sister Marimar Torres. As of 2008, aware of the effects that global warming was beginning to have on the vineyard, they intensified their environmental commitment with the implementation of the Torres & Earth program.

At the end of the nineties, the children of Miguel A. Torres, Miguel and Mireia, representatives of the fifth generation, led new wine projects in the Catalan regions of Priorat and Costers del Segre and in the so-called four ‘Rs’, Ribera del Duero, Rioja, Rueda and Rías Baixas, already in the new millennium.

As of 2012, they relieved their father in the management of Familia Torres: Miguel Torres Maczassek (1974) as general manager and Mireia Torres Maczassek (1969) as director of Innovation and Knowledge.

The goal of becoming a zero-emissions winery before 2040 is as ambitious as it is necessary for the continuity of Familia Torres and the preservation of the wine landscapes.

Celeste Crianza is a wine made in Ribera del Duero, an opulent wine, with a lot of fruit, body and color, which treasures the freshness, emotion and intensity of a starry night. It rests for 12 months in French and American oak barrels and another 12 months in the bottle.

View: It has a bright ruby ​​red color.

Smell: A wine with notes of plums, raspberries and cassis. It also has hints of nuts and a hint of fresh grass.

Taste: Balanced wine, with ripe tannins and refreshing acidity.