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The brainchild of young Catalonian Don Jaime Torres, who arrived in Cuba in 1855 on a quest for fortune, he founded Bodegas Torres with his brothers in Villa France Penedes circa 1870. Since then, the company has been linked to the island nation’s history. Its prestige and recognition worldwide knows no boundaries, backed up by the outstanding and excellent job carried out by five generations bent over backwards in the winemaking universe. No wonder its continuous attendance to the Habano Festival, an honor highlighted by Miguel Torres Maczassek, a member of the fifth generation and the company’s director general.

How did this historic relationship between Bodegas Torres and Cuba ever come up and how has it been so far?
My family has a special connection with Cuba because Jaime Torres, the founder of our Bodega, spent the best years of his youth on the island. He came back to Spain in 1870 to start up the winemaking production with his brother Miguel, but everybody used to say that Jaime kept on speaking with a Cuban accent for the rest of his life. Since then, several generations of our family members have remained emotionally linked to Cuba and we have taken a firsthand look at the cultural evolution of habanos on the island, as well as the culture of wines and spirits.

Bodegas Torres has traditionally sponsored the Habano Festivals in Cuba. Why?
First of all, because of our special ties with Cuba. But also due to the fact that a good cigar, a good habano, is part of the savoir vivre culture, together with haute cuisine. The Habano Festival is known as the world’s most important event related to cigars. It usually gathers over a thousand guests from around the globe and we, as the world’s most admired wine brand, according to Drinks International, want to be present in this special and prestigious event.

Habanos and wines make up a one-of-a-kind pair. How have habanos related to the Bodegas Torres wines?
 It’s true that there’s a very special alliance between habanos and our wines. I remember that during one of the previous festivals, a packet of 120 bottles of our finest wine, Mas Las Planas, and 350 habanos from the Romeo y Julieta brand sold for 140,000 euros during the auction, with those funds being funneled into charitable causes.
There have also been tasting sessions in which guests voted for the best pairings. I just can’t recall the specific habano that was picked, but I do remember that it was an alliance with our Mas La Plana farm wine and our Jaime I Super Premium brandy.
 
 Do you smoke habanos? What’s your favorite brand and vitola? What do you pair them with?
 Yes, I’m a great habano fan, though I only smoke on weekends. Sometimes while reading a good book and having a glass of Oporto, especially the Oporto made by our Symington friends, who like us, belong to the Primum Familiae Vini (PFV), an association made up of 11 winemaking families that are considered the most prestigious ones from each region.
Together with Torres, we have Vega Sicilia, Egon Müller, Symington, Pol Roger, Perrin, Joseph Drouhin, Tenuta San Guido, Hugel, Antinori and Mouton Rothschild.
My favorite vitolas are Partagas 898 and Romeo y Julieta (Churchill), but at the end of the day I like all Cuban cigars.