Photography: Torres

Mr. Torres: My father, who experienced the Spanish Civil War, was afraid of similar political unrest following the end of the Franco era and was looking for a safe country to invest in. He found the Central Valley in Chile. Land prices were low and the weather was ideal. Chile was internationally isolated at that time and we invested a lot of money in new technologies.

Is there a Chilean style of wine?

Mr. Torres: No, but similar to those of California, Chilean Cabernet Sauvignons have the distinct taste of eucalyptus and mint.

And they have just as much alcohol ...

Mr. Torres: That’s correct. The alcohol content of wines is rising.

Is that necessary?

Mr. Torres: Wine critics such as Parker always give such wines a good rating, and a red wine with 13% alc. vol. is qualitatively better than one with 10%. But my daughter, the technical director of our winery in Penedès, has been working for four years on a non-alcoholic white muscatel, which tastes pretty good now.

Is there a market for that?

Mr. Torres: I think so. There are many people who can’t drink alcohol for health reasons. And legal blood alcohol levels for drivers are also falling.

Are organic wines a market for you?

Mr. Torres: Yes, but also a concern. In Chile we produce organic Viognier, Sauvignon blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon, a red and a white cuvée in Spain, and all of our wines in California are organically grown.

What motivated you to produce organic wines?

Mr. Torres: I took a sabbatical in 1982 because my father was not yet ready to retire from the business. That year I studied at the University of Montpellier in France and leaned a lot about integrated viniculture, such as forgoing the use of pesticides, combating illnesses and pests via biological means, and it convinced me.

But your work for the environment goes beyond integrated viniculture ...

Mr. Torres: Yes, we must also think about the future. CO2 emissions and climate change threaten our existence. That’s why next year we are investing ten million euros on CO2 reduction. A lot of money for a family business.

What exactly does this mean?

Mr. Torres: We are trying to conserve energy by employing alternative energies such as sun, wind and geothermal heat. We use special algae which “digest” CO2 and are then processed into organic fuel. Old vines fuel a heating plant and in Barcelona wines are delivered to restaurants and shops in electric cars. We are also spending five million euros in the next ten years on reforestation. We want to be a CO2 neutral company in five years.

China and India are considered the wine countries of the future. Are you also involved there?

Mr. Torres: China is a very interesting market. Back in 1993 we founded a joint venture with a Chinese cooperative which no longer exists. That cost us a million euros, but also opened up the Chinese market which we now supply with our wines as well as other wines from Italy and France. In India we formed a joint venture with an Italian partner for the sale and distribution of wines.

Are there other countries you want to buy land in to grow wine?

Mr. Torres: Definitely not. We don’t want to make more wine, we want to make better wines. That’s why we have been working in Priorat for a few years. Wine has been grown in this region of southwest Catalonia since the 13th century. Warm days and cold nights are very good for the wine’s colour and aroma. Perhaps one day some of the best Spanish wine will come from Priorat.

Rainer Meier performed this exclusive interview with Mr. Torres in Hamburg (Germany), September 2008.

For further information about the winery please have a look at www.torres.es