The new facility will also focus on research projects related to climate change and indigenous yeasts
The biggest news this harvest season was Bodegas Torres's unveiling of a winery dedicated to microvinification. The new facility located in Pacs del Penedès will allow for more in-depth research in the study of revived ancestral varieties. In addition, it will work on improving quality and the vinification process as well as developing very limited-edition wines.
The winery occupies a 370 m2 space divided into two areas, which are equipped with the latest technology to carry out small-scale vinification, ranging from 5 to 1000 liters. Conditions at the facility mimic those found in bigger wineries, but offer greater flexibility when it comes to conducting different kinds of vinicultural tests and experiments. The fixed tanks are equipped with cooling jackets and an automatic temperature control system. The portable tanks, used for small batches under 50 liters, are placed in insulated chambers that can maintain various temperature settings simultaneously to ensure the correct fermentation of the musts. The winery is also fully equipped for harvest reception and has several small-scale presses and a bottling line on site.
At this new winery, a team of 3 to 7 professionals, depending on the time of year, will centralize all of the research projects the company has been working on for the past two decades. Currently, the main lines of research focus on reviving ancestral varieties, adapting the vineyard to climate change, isolating and identifying indigenous yeasts, and improving methods of analysis and the process of stabilizing and preserving wine.
Some research projects form part of larger European projects like INNOWINE and MyCORRAY or Spanish projects financed by the Center for the Development of Industrial Technology (CDTI), an entity that answers to the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness. This includes VINySOST and INCOMES, which primarily study wine stability, environmental factors, and the effects of phenolic compounds in wine on human health.
For the construction of its new microvinification facility, Bodegas Torres received an innovation grant from the Common Market Organization (CMO). The new winery reflects Torres's vocation for excellence and its clear commitment to RDI (Research, Development and Innovation). The company invests over one million euros a year into research projects in the fields of enology and viticulture.
