Torresella brings the Venetian spirit to Toronto at its launch party

On June 18 at Paris, Paris, TL Insiders gathered at the hip Ossington strip for a taste of Italy in Toronto.

The breezy launch party for Torresella—a sustainable wine brand that been loved for decades in Italy, but has only recently arrived in Ontario—was conveniently set during an early-summer heat wave. With sky-high humid conditions outdoors, their ice-cold pinot grigio was a welcome relief to the muggy air.

As trays of chilled glasses flowed through the crowd, bartenders expertly made stylish, inviting cocktails out of the sustainable pinot grigio—mixing wine with juices made for flavourful, lower ABV options for guests. Between a stunning garden spritz that leaned lightly savoury with ginger and cucumber and a summer-ready tropical mix featuring aromatic notes of pineapple and citrus, Torresella’s pinot grigio showcased its versatility as a chilled sip and as the star of any cocktail.

Cheese and charcuterie boards lined the tables for guests to help themselves, while generous platters of French fries and fried chicken sandwiches were passed to hungry partygoers.

“Torresella’s main ethos is conviviality,” said Julie-Ann McNeilly, the director of Canada for the Herita Marzotto Wine Estates—the parent company for Torresella—while speaking to the eager crowd. “The company and the family put wines into the world with the sole thought of bringing people together with food as the centrepiece.”

The family-owned and -operated company began in the 1930s with founding patriarch Gaetano Marzotto, who discovered an abandoned strip of land in the Venetian countryside between the Dolomite Mountains and the Adriatic Sea—a location primed for vineyards. With a strong devotion to the land and the people who farm it, Gaetano was as uncompromising in his dedication to environmental stewardship as he was to the care of his workforce, building affordable housing for employees as well as creating year-round jobs, along with a glass factory in the winter to balance farming in the summer.

Newer generations took that stewardship even further, becoming fully sustainable in 1984. They built an underground irrigation system that saved water while preserving the quality of the grapes while also prohibiting chemical herbicides and promoting biodiversity by leaving enough ground cover between vines. A network of solar panels fuels the vineyard, and every product is composed of recycled materials for the paper labels and lightweight glass bottles.

“Sustainability is not just a buzzword for us. Torresella is a wine you can feel really good about buying,” said Julie-Ann. “It’s for real people. People are looking for a wine that’s of very strong quality and I think that’s exactly what our wine is delivering. It’s for the person who is sophisticated, but also wants to have fun.”

Laughter erupted around the room as guests received first-hand lessons in concocting the Torresella pinot grigio cocktails from a mixologist-led master class, clinking their glasses for a toast over plates of cheese.

“Torresella is a fantastic brand because it’s so versatile. From antipasto to chicken to fish, it’s a crowd-pleasing, easy-drinking wine that goes with anything you’re serving.”

Take home a bottle of Torresella’s pinot grigio today at lcbo.com.