Cecilia Torres, one of Chile's premier winemakers (photo by RUDY LIWANAG )

There is no substitute for a woman’s touch especially when it comes to preparing something refreshingly good for the palate. Cecilia Torres, one of Chile’s premier winemakers, has been producing fine, quality wines blended perfectly well and sealed in every bottle of Casa Real Wines.

“I believe that women’s heightened senses or what we call haste in sense, is a big factor in producing quality wines and it‘s what sets us apart from other wine makers in the world,” shared Casa Real’s winemaker Torres during her recent visit to Manila.

The quality of Casa Real’s wine is evident in their produce with exceptional 90 grade by various wine organizations all over the world. In 2005, Casa Real Wines achieved its highest grade of produce as Wine Review – On-line of the United States, awarded them with a 95 point grade.

With its 2005 vintage, for example, Casa Real’s wines, feature extraordinary balance as well as tremendous body, color, depth, and generously rendered fruit taste.

As one of the few lady winemakers in the world, Cecilia is in charge of the delicate process of choosing and cultivating grapes from the vineyard, even managing the produce and taking care of its process similar to managing a home.

“I think that an advantage of being a lady winemaker is similar to taking care of the house and carefully nurturing the family which is basically innate to women. This is the same reason why there are few lady winemakers out there since making quality wines can take so much of their time,” said Torres.

Torres, one of the top five wine makers in Chile, studied winemaking and viticulture at Universidad de Chile famous for training the country’s leading winemakers. Aside from various awards received by Casa Real Wines, Torres has also been a recipient of numerous individual awards including the Enologist award granted by the Chilean Gastronomic Reporter’s Circle and Winemaker of the Year by Guia de Vinos de Chile.

This rare lady winemaker from Chile also accounts passion and sensitivity as important keys that winemakers should develop, adding that such qualities give them an advantage in the craft they are indulged in. 

“Another key in making great wines is being able to understand the culture of people who taste these wines.  I love going around the world and having a better perspective of their preferences when it comes to dining and wine pairing.  It’s amazing to discover the food that they eat and of course the kind of wines and drinks they enjoy,” added Torres.

Torres emphasized that aside from her passion for winemaking, she also appreciates how wines can be a social product. “It can enhance social interaction and therefore should be accessible to all,” Torres said.