Michel Torino winery was established in 1892 by French immigrant brothers David and Salvador Michel, and David’s Italian wife, Gabriela Torino. This internationally acclaimed winery started in an unexplored part of northern Argentina, where the brothers discovered the potential of the erstwhile unexplored Calchaqui desert valley region for growing high-quality grapes. Along with expert winemaker Gabriela, they used various FrancoRoman practices to plant grapevines. After much experimentation, they narrowed it down to the grapes that Argentina is famous for today. The spirit of experimentation continued even as their children developed the vineyard. They were the first to plant Torrontés grapes in the valley — today a wine-lovers favorite.
The Michel brothers along with Gabriela are considered pioneers for planting wine grapes in the Calchaqui Valley. The unique climatic conditions, Franco-Roman heritage of the winemakers, and the adventurous, free-spirited personalities of the founders reflect in their Seleccion series of wines.