Toro’s Founding Father

Manuel Fariña has always been a fearless promoter of Toro and was the initial driving force behind modernization, being the first to do almost everything; the first to bring the harvest forward to September, the first to trellis his vines; the first to install stainless steel fermentation tanks in their new winery; and the first Toro winery to export their wines.

The decision to move the harvest date was a defining change and went against the tradition of the time. However, it directly impacted the wine and dramatically reduced alcohol levels from 17% to 13–13.5%, which brought much-needed balance and elegance.

Through careful observation and experimentation in the vineyard, Fariña also discovered that trellising maximized sun exposure, created a lush canopy and encouraged more even-ripening, compared with the natural bush-vine shape. It also helped to control vine yields, and in-turn, the size of the grapes, which directly impacted the flavor and character of the wine.

It is thanks to these pioneering efforts, and massive improvements in quality, that led Toro to obtaining D.O. status in 1987.

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