Miguel Torres
Spain may be the most dynamic wine country in Europe today, thanks to a quality revolution in recent decades. Many wineries have contributed, but Miguel A. Torres built the foundation.
Torres is a family business dating to the 19th century; Miguel A., born in 1941, represents the third generation. The company he entered was built largely on blends, with brands such as Sangre de Toro and Viña Sol made from purchased grapes.
But Torres had the chance to study winemaking in France, and though always reserved and soft-spoken, he came home with ambitious ideas. He began planting parcels of French grape varieties and when he released the 1970 vintage of a Cabernet Sauvignon called Mas La Plana, it drew international attention.
The Torreses explored the New World in the 1970s; Miguel's sister, Marimar, created a winery in Sonoma County, and the family became one of the first foreign vintners to invest in Chile. In Spain, Miguel continued to push the company, building a modern new facility in Penedès, its home base, and founding wineries in Rioja, Ribera del Duero and Priorat. He has made the company a global leader in environmental protection and sustainability. Today, helped by his son and daughter, Torres continues to move Spain forward.