Pioneers in Curicó: How Familia Torres reinvented Chile
Familia Torres began its wine history in 1870 in Vilafranca del Penedès, Catalonia. In 1979, the decisive step to South America was taken: The winery settled in the Curicó Valley, becoming the first foreign wine producer ever to establish itself in Chile. What seemed like an experiment at the time fundamentally changed Chilean wine culture. Torres brought stainless steel tanks with temperature control and French oak barrels to a country that had known neither until then — and raised the quality standard of the entire industry almost overnight. Today, the fifth generation of the family continues the Chilean project, with around 350 hectares of vineyards and a presence in over 115 countries.
The base remains Curicó, but the winery has long been cultivating sites throughout Chile: Maule, Limarí, Maipo, Itata, and Biobío. Each valley stands for its own climate and soil history — from cool coastal terraces to the dry hills of the south.
Organic, regenerative, fair: A triad as an attitude
The technological breakthrough of the early years has transformed into a comprehensive sustainability program. Since 2012, all of Torres' Chilean vineyards have been fully organic certified — no herbicides, no synthetic plant protection, no chemical additives in the cellar. But it didn't stop there. Chief winemaker Eduardo Jordán is now driving the transition to regenerative agriculture: cover cropping to promote soil biodiversity, wildflower strips as corridors for insects, and rotational sheep grazing for natural weed control. The goal is a living soil that reflects the vine — and not just supports it.
In addition, there is a social commitment that goes beyond the vineyard. Torres Chile is the largest Fair Trade certified wine producer in Chile and works with local small farmers, including on the revival of the historic País grape in Maule and Itata. In these regions, winemakers still practice methods from the Spanish colonial era today — Torres sees this not as a relic, but as a resource. For climate protection, the winery has formulated a concrete goal: net-zero emissions by 2050, with an interim milestone of 60% CO₂ reduction per bottle by 2030.
Terroir in bottles: From the Elqui Valley to the Itata hills
What distinguishes the Torres Chile range is its consistent loyalty to origin. The Cordillera line bundles seven single-varietal, regional wines — including the Sauvignon Blanc from the cool, high-altitude Elqui Valley and a Carignan from old dry-farmed sites in Maule. Each bottling is intended to tell the story of exactly one place, not to serve a stylistic formula. Alongside these are wines like the Almado or the Los Inquietos Blend, which work with a cross-varietal approach. With Serena 0.0%, Torres shows that non-alcoholic wine does not have to be a compromise — the product is created with the same organic foundations as the entire portfolio. Those who drink their way through the bottles get a journey through Chile's climate zones: the salinity of cool maritime influences in the north, the power of old dry-farmed vines in the center, and the spice of ancient País vines in the south.
