2015 Miguel Torres Escaleras de Empedrado Pinot Noir

Miguel Torres is the best-known label of Bodegas Torres, Spain’s largest wine producer and one of its most innovative and historic. Bodegas Torres was founded in 1870 by Jaime Torres, who made a fortune in Cuba then returned to northeastern Spain to go into the wine business with his brother. The business is still owned and operated by the Torres family, and along with numerous estates throughout Spain, Bodegas Torres runs a winery in Chile and California. The company produces wines made of traditional Spanish grapes as well as international varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon. Miguel Torres wines are exported to 140 countries.

Chile has produced wine since the 16th century, when Spanish conquistadores brought grape vines and established vineyards. Sweet wines were favored until well into the 19th century, when French immigrants began making dry wines with a decidedly French character. Chile’s long, narrow, coastal geography has made the transportation of wines challenging over the centuries, though today it is a major exporter. To the west is the Pacific Ocean, to the east are the Andes. But the isolation has also meant that Chile vineyards have so far never been attacked by phylloxera, meaning that unlike viticulturalists in many other part of the world, Chilean vineyards can be planted with original rootstock, saving producers the laborious job of grafting vines onto phylloxera-resistant rootstocks. Chile started an appellation system in 1994, and there are five regions each with numerous sub-regions. Chile has attracted investment from European and American producers, including Robert Mondavi Winery, Kendall-Jackson, Lafite-Rothschild and Miguel Torres.

This red wine is relatively light and can pair with a wide variety of foods. The grape prefers cooler climates and the wine is most often associated with Burgundy, Champagne and the U.S. west coast. Regional differences make it nearly as fickle as it is flexible.