Tell us about your current role?

After my daughter taking the General Direction of Marimar Estate, I have become Vinter and Proprietor. We are a great combo as she has the strategic view and I have the experience, always aligned and rowing to the same direction.

How did you first get into the drinks industry?

I got married to a California wine critic and started to learn about wine. As a girl in Spain, I had not been allowed to get involved in the world of wine – that was only for men in those days. And also, I am the 4^th generation of Familia Torres in Spain, so I believe growing up among vineyards is directly related to my interest in producing my own wines in the Russian River Valley.

What is your favourite part about working in the industry?

Getting to know so many interesting people, sharing a glass of wine with them and realizing how important it is to build bonding relationships with customers.  

We’re meeting up for a drink after work – what are you having?

I’d go for a glass of our Albariño, it is so fresh and it has a ray of sunshine from California!

You can only have one drink for the rest of your life, what’s in your glass?

No doubt it would be our Cristina Pinot Noir. Named after my only daughter, Cristina, this wine is a barrel selection from a unique blend of our Pinot Noir clones that we feel best represent the terroir, or personality, of the Don Miguel Vineyard and show the most potential for ageing.

It’s Saturday night, what restaurant are you going to?

It would definitely be one that has Marimar Estate wines on the list, I love to appreciate their efforts and implication with our family so nothing better than to enjoy their gastronomy paired with our wines!

Is there a bucket list drink you want to try, or a dream drink destination you’d love to visit?

I’ve tried so many wines throughout my career, and as I keep tasting they keep surprising me. As I always say, there are 4 features that make a wine: the terroir, the variety, the climate, and the person behind it, so if one of these changes you’ll have a completely different wine. There are many places I’d love to visit as the world is full of beautiful landscapes, but honestly waking up to the view of the Don Miguel Vineyard, is one of the things I’ll never take for granted!

What is the most memorable experience of your career?

I have a very nice memory of my father a few days before he died. It was April 1991, and I came from California with a bottle of my first vintage of La Masia Chardonnay for him to taste, and when he did, he said: “It is the best white wine I have ever tasted” and believe me, there are not many compliments like this within my family!

One thing you’d like to see more of in the drinks industry.

As a wine industry, we should be more involved in implementing measures to prevent Climate Change. Particularly, in Marimar Estate we have both vineyards certified sustainable, use 100% solar energy – also an electric tractor – and we practice regenerative agriculture. These are little facts that create a huge difference for the environment.

Any particular women you admire in the industry?

My daughter Cristina. She’s a very passionate and hard-working woman, and just like me, she was born among the vines so her passion for the wine-making industry began at a very young age, seeing me as a role model of what it takes to build your dream from scratch thousands of miles away from your family.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to start a career in the industry?

Like everything in life, there will be ups and downs, but if you never try, you’ll never know.

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