Say 'hola' to Torres, president of one of India's top wine brands

Torres, touted as the World's Most Admired Wine Brand, Familia Torres was founded in 1870 in the Spanish region of Penedes and is to this day family-owned. The operations across over 150 countries are managed under the watchful eye of the much awarded, highly decorated and widely respected President, Miguel A Torres, fourth generation of the family.

A forward-looking investor, smart enough to recognise the potential for wine in India, Miguel Torres brought a tidy purse to India in 2001 to establish a one-of-a-kind distribution joint venture with the Gautam Thapar Group (now Avantha) and set up activities of the Miguel Torres Foundation in Anantapur in 2007. "I could realise my dream of exploring your fascinating country and its people with my wine," he exclaims, as he sits down to dinner having just finished guiding us through a unique vertical tasting of Mas la Plana, the premium wine that he personally crafted by experimenting with the Cabernet Sauvignon varietal for the first time in his region in the '70s.

We rewind to the '60s when he completed his degree in oenology and wine-making from the University of Dijon and joined his parents' business. "Sometimes, I try to remember the exact moment I decided to devote my life to wine-growing. As times goes by, I'm increasingly certain that moment never really existed. The land has always been my life…and that of my family since we began growing grapes in the Penedes over 300 years ago."

What has made Torres what it is today? Miguel pauses. "Our vision is to create a world where we celebrate life, care for the earth and carry on our legacy. Of course, the quality of the wines (and vines) and their consistency matter. And our people, whom we treat as assets, stay motivated and are doing something from the heart".

Miguel reveres his pharmacist father. "A man of incredible courage. In 1939, our cellars were destroyed in a fire. He could've packed up and set up a pharmacy in Barcelona. Instead, he travelled the world and adapted to customers who wanted bottles not barrels. He sold Chablis, Burgundy, Sauternes – all made in Spain. These products were not carried over into the modern day, but some bottles survive in our museum."

Climate change worries Miguel. The Torres & Earth program was set up with an ambitious target of reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 30 per cent per bottle by 2020. "We are on track, but will need to go much further, otherwise we will be growing grapes in the mountains. Torres is preparing for an uncertain future, not because of war but because of global warming," he says, while raising a toast to the health of our planet.

Miguel is in his 70s and will make way for a successor. The traditions, values of excellence and innovations to lead the future will be passed on. It will stay in the family, but it's confidential and he won't say when. He remains optimistic about India. "Wine should be separated from alcohol. I would like to be seen as a pioneering, yet sensible businessman for my decision to enter India, not a passionate wine lover."