The Miguel Torres wine group, now called Familia Torres, is one of the companies most aware of the fight against climate change and has set itself the goal that by 2050 it will have not only a neutral but a positive impact on the climate, that is, it will have reduced and offset 100% of its carbon footprint. Global warming constitutes a serious threat to Mediterranean vineyards and this family business has been working for many years to find solutions, such as planting vineyards in higher areas and adopting organic farming. Thus, between 2008 and 2019, Torres has managed to reduce its CO₂ emissions by 30% (direct and indirect) for each bottle of wine placed on the market. The challenge is to reduce the carbon footprint by an additional 55% by 2030.
"Regenerative techniques represent a paradigm shift in vineyard management, but we believe it is necessary, as it is the only solution that allows atmospheric carbon to be stored in the soil and fight against climate change," explains Miquel Torres. And it is that the capture and fixation of CO₂ has become the great priority of the winery, which wants to convert its vineyards "into large carbon sinks." In parallel, the family has also invested in the purchase of large tracts of land in Chilean Patagonia, where they carry out reforestation projects.
According to Torres, the incorporation of regenerative practices represents "a 180-degree turn" in relation to conventional agriculture, but they are convinced that it will not only be positive for the climate, but also for achieving "better wines." And it is that this type of techniques, for example, favor a decrease in vineyard production and allow the soil to better retain rainwater. It is also expected that in the long term there will be a delay in grape ripening and thus partially mitigate the premature harvests caused by global warming.
The idea of regenerative agriculture is to fill vineyards with biodiversity and natural organic matter, quite the opposite of what was sought years ago. Torres believes that ecological techniques are not enough to face the climate emergency and that a model prioritizing CO₂ fixation must be advanced. It is about recovering soil life, which increases the capacity to capture and retain atmospheric carbon causing global warming. For example, regenerative agriculture avoids plowing by turning over the soil to prevent the release of carbon retained in the soil. Consequently, a plant cover is extended over the surface of the vineyards, maximizing this CO₂ capture. The soil is also nourished with the organic compound left by sheep herds. According to the winery, it is estimated that with the set of these actions, the soil could fix around three tons of CO₂ per hectare per year.
Familia Torres plans to introduce regenerative agriculture in some of its most emblematic estates, such as Mas La Plana (DO Penedès), Mas de la Rosa (DOQ Priorat), and Milmanda (DO Conca de Barberà), as well as in the vineyards of the Jean Leon winery. The Catalan company, which has just celebrated its 150th anniversary, also has vineyards and wineries outside Catalonia, located in the wine production areas of Rioja, Ribera del Duero, Rueda, and Rías Baixas. Internationally, the company is present in California and Chile.
The Torres brand is one of the most internationally recognized in the wine world. Recently, one of the three siblings of the fourth generation who shared ownership of the company, Juan María Torres, passed away. The main shareholder is Miguel A. Torres Riera, president of the group, although the day-to-day operations of the company are already in the hands of his two children, Miquel and Mireia. The California winery is managed by his sister, Marimar Torres, and by his niece and also a member of the fifth generation, Cristina Torres.