Meet the Family
Our Story
The Torano family’s journey began in Miami, where a love for wine sparked a dream that would lead them across the country to Sonoma County in 2011. There, on a steep hillside in the Alexander Valley, they discovered Mi Cielo — “my sky” — a small Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard that would become the heart of their winemaking story.
Their first vintage was released in 2012, marking the start of a hands-on commitment to quality. Over the years, the family carefully cultivated the land, removing weaker blocks of vines to focus on the purity and character of the fruit rather than yield.
In 2019, devastating wildfires swept through Sonoma County, reaching Mi Cielo and destroying the vineyard’s water tank, irrigation lines, and part of the north block. Yet, from that loss came renewal — and a deepened resolve.
Today, the Torano family calls Tucson, Arizona home, where they share the wines of Sonoma with the vibrant Arizona community. From a single hillside vineyard to a growing catalog of seven distinctive wines sourced from select vineyards across Sonoma County, A. Toraño Wines continues to craft small-lot, award-winning wines that embody resilience, craftsmanship, and family.
Meet the team
Proprietor
In 1916, my grandfather Arturo Toraño and his brothers immigrated from Asturias, Spain, to Cuba, where Arturo built one of the island’s largest leaf tobacco businesses, supplying American cigar makers and his Menendez cousins of Montecristo fame. During the Cuban Revolution, Arturo returned to Asturias, Spain, and by 1960 our family immigrated to the United States after Cuba began nationalizing private enterprises.
My father, also Arturo, worked with U.S. cigar companies in Connecticut and Florida, then helped develop cigar industries in Nicaragua, Honduras, and Brazil, eventually partnering with the Menendez brothers in Bahia.
I discovered my passion for wine in 2001 while tasting a Brunello di Montalcino. Inspired by travels to the Loire Valley and Bordeaux, I decided to pursue California winemaking. In 2011, our family purchased a small Cabernet vineyard in Alexander Valley, naming it “Mi Cielo,” with our first vintage in 2012. Since then, we’ve been crafting small-production wines from Sonoma’s finest vineyards.
Arthur Torano
CEO
Before moving to Sonoma County full-time, our family spent summers here and began making wine at a small family-owned winery in Cloverdale in 2012. Enzo, age 16, started interning, learning to clean barrels, bins, and other winery equipment, returning each summer to gain hands-on experience.
When we moved to Sonoma in 2014, Enzo enrolled at Santa Rosa Junior College and the Schone Farm School to study Viticulture and Wine Marketing. Under Patrick Sullivan’s guidance, he became Patrick’s “Cellar Rat” during harvest, working 14-hour days, seven days a week.
Today, Enzo has been essential in all our endeavors—from launching the Tucson Tasting room to the daily operations and managing business relations—playing a key role in every aspect of our family wine business.
Enzo Torano
Wine Maker
Patrick Sullivan
Since 2014, Patrick Sullivan has been a vital part of A. Toraño Wines.. He has worked with Paul Hobbs, Lewis Cellars, Peter Michael, and served as winemaker for Spring Mountain. These experiences gave him deep insight into our terroir and varietals.
Patrick works closely with vineyard teams to harvest fruit at peak ripeness, not just sugar levels. He transforms our ideas into wines that often exceed expectations. Each bottle is an artisanal creation where art often exceeds science.
His philosophy aligns with the winery’s: less is more. “We start with great grapes, manage the vineyard carefully, and monitor the season closely,” he says. By harvest, little intervention is needed. Patrick’s work reflects precision, dedication, and respect for the vineyard.
Ryan Torano
CMO
Ryan Torano has cultivated a deep passion for design across multiple disciplines — from fashion to traditional media — a path that led him to study at Parsons School of Design in New York City. After his time at Parsons, Ryan pivoted his focus toward integrating his creative foundation into the family wine business, A. Toraño Wines.
Today, he leads the brand’s creative direction — designing everything from packaging, menus, and stationery to overseeing social media, photography, and web design. His work reflects a dedication to craftsmanship and storytelling that mirrors the wines themselves. As he continues to expand his role within A. Toraño Wines, Ryan is also deepening his education in wine, bridging art and viticulture into a unified vision for the Wine Labels future.