Familia Torres hosted the third annual meeting of the Primum Familiae Vini (PFV) Technical Committee at their winery in Penedès, Spain. with the aim of exchanging insights and expertise on research and innovation in viticulture to address climate change. The meeting, held on January 23 and 24, was attended by representatives from Symington Family Estates, Famille Perrin, Baron Philippe de Rothschild, Domaine Clarence Dillon, Familia Torres, and Antinori (virtually), all of whom are PFV members and regarded as some of Europe’s most prestigious family-owned wineries.
The meeting was chaired by Mireia Torres, Director of Innovation and Knowledge at Familia Torres, and Charles Symington, who has held the presidency of PFV since last July. Over the course of two days, attending members of the Technical Committee gained firsthand insight into the main R&D projects being developed by Familia Torres, both in the vineyard and the winery, to adapt to the new climate scenario, and visited the Mas La Plana estate in Penedès as well as the Mas de la Rosa and Els Tossals de Porrera vineyards in Priorat, as examples of heroic and high-altitude viticulture.
Some of these initiatives include the implementation of regenerative viticulture stands out, aimed at restoring soil fertility and promoting biodiversity by capturing CO2 from the atmosphere and fixing it in the soil, and the recovery of ancestral grape varieties, which seeks not only to identify varieties with oenological interest but also those best adapted to rising temperatures. In terms of production, Familia Torres shared with the Technical Committee their advancements in capturing CO2 from wine fermentation, optimizing water management in the winery, producing de-alcoholized wines, and conducting micro-vinifications.
The PFV Technical Committee was established in 2022 with the goal of addressing topics of collective interest related to production, research, and innovation, through an annual meeting at one of its member wineries, where the best practices are shared and discussed for the benefit of the group and the advancement of sustainable viticulture. Previous meetings were held at the Symington Family Estates winery (Portugal) and Château de Beaucastel of Famille Perrin (Bordeaux, France).
The Primum Familiae Vini association, which is invitation-only, comprises twelve of the world’s most distinguished family-owned wine estates. Its mission is to represent the highest level of excellence in the wine world; promote quality and sustainability; combine family heritage with innovation; and encourage other family businesses to preserve their independence and uphold quality and positive values. The members are: Marchesi Antinori (Tuscany), Baron Philippe de Rothschild (Bordeaux), Joseph Drouhin (Burgundy), Domaine Clarence Dillon (Bordeaux), Egon Müller Scharzhof (Mosel), Famille Hugel (Alsace), Pol Roger (Champagne), Famille Perrin (Rhône Valley), Symington Family Estates (Portugal), Tenuta San Guido (Tuscany), Familia Torres (Spain), and Vega Sicilia (Ribera del Duero).
