Torres

Torres is Spain's largest family-owned producer of wine and Spanish brandy. The Torres family owns more than 2,200 acres of vineyards in Penedes in North East Spain, as well as properties in Chile and California.

The present company was founded on 1870 with the fruits of a chance investment by Jaime Torres in a Cuban Oil company. A winery was established at Vilafranca del Penedes near Barcelona and its wines were shipped to Cuba by the Torres Fleet. Juan Torres (nephew and heir to Jaime Torres) expanded the business within Spain quite considerably and left the family business to his son Miguel in 1932. After confiscation, disruption and even winery destruction during the Spanish Civil War, Miguel rebuilt the business and as early as the 1950's decided to concentrate on selling wine in bottle rather than in bulk.

In 1959, Miguel's son Miguel A. Torres went to study in Dijon. This rapidly resulted in in experimental plantings of vine varieties imported from France and Germany, as well as also introducing the trellis system . In 1991 Miguel A. Torres became president of the company with particular responsibilities for wine-making. He is also one of Spain's most prolific wine writers and runs the 220-ha estate near Churico in Chile, which he established in 1978. His sister, Marimar manages the 56-ha vineyard in Sonoma, California.