Torres: “I wouldn’t invest in southern Spain”

Spanish wine giant Miguel Torres has revealed that he would no longer consider investing in vineyards in the south of Spain due to the effects of global warming.

Speaking to the drinks business during a lunch he hosted at the St James’s hotel in London last week, Torres said: “There are still pockets of Spain with untapped wine potential but I wouldn’t invest in southern Spain now as it’s too hot and is going to suffer the effects of global warming.

“That’s why we’ve invested in land in Benabarre in the Pyrenees in Catalonia, which is too cold for winemaking at the moment but won’t be in the future. Things are going to change – temperatures in Alaska have risen by 3° in the last four years for example.

“I’m glad we decided not to invest in China – in Ningxia for example, their water comes from the river – what are you going to do in 20 years when it’s dried up,” he questioned.

Torres’ Chilean Pinot Noir

He is however, keen to get into the Cava game – Torres is due to release it’s long-awaited first Cava later this year. “We’ve made Cava from a single estate in Penedès since 2013 and the first vintage tastes great.

“My daughter is in charge of the project so you’ll have to ask her about disgorgement dates. The 2013 is still on its lees,” he told db.

As for the terroir debate currently raging in Rioja, Torres believes the consejo needs to be more open-minded and flexible towards change. “The Consejo Regulador in Rioja should be more flexible about allowing village names on the front label as it adds value to the wines,” he said.

“Some of the consejo rules are frustrating – I had to spend €2m on building a winery in Priorat in order to be able to label our wines as such, despite having a perfectly good winery close by at our base in Vilafranca del Penedès,” he added.

During the lunch, Torres treated guests to a taste of the 2012 vintage of his Chilean Pinot Noir – Escaleras de Empedrado. Plagued by pests including mice and rabbits, Torres admitted the 70-hectare project in the slate-rich Maule Valley was “a big investment” and “a labour of love”.

“We lost the first two harvests to pests, so 2012 was our first vintage. The only way for this kind of project to work is for it to be family run – you also have to be a little mad and have unwavering belief in it,” he said.

“It will take us 10 years just to break even so I’m glad the bank isn’t among our shareholders,” he added. The Pinot grapes are hand picked and undergo cold maceration. The wine is then aged for seven months in French oak. Just 2,000 bottles were made in 2012 and 5,000 bottles in 2013.

“I didn’t want to make a traditional Chilean Pinot, but something more in the Burgundy style. I’ve noticed vintage variation, which is a positive thing,” Torres said.

He believes both Tempranillo and Sauvignon Blanc also have potential in Empedrado, and has recently snapped up land in Itata, which he’s planted with Cabernet and Monastrell.

While the day to day running of the company is now done by his son, Torres remains president and attends a board meeting once a month.