Interview with Aurelio Montes

Montes Wine is one of the most important and traditional wineries in Chile. The winery owes its success not only to its determined founder and eponym Aurelio Montes, but also to the excellent wine quality at a low price. Founded in 1988, the Chilean winery Montes is still celebrating success today, and not just in Chile. Montes wines are now exported to over 100 countries. Among the founders Pedro Grand, Douglas Murray and Alfredo Vidaurre there is also the namesake Aurelio Montes, who is considered by many to be the best oenologist in Chile. The winery quickly became a kind of figurehead of Chilean wine culture. The reason for this is not only the excellent quality of the wines, but also the good price-enjoyment ratio. Two of the top wines are Montes Folly or Montes Purple Angel. The quality of Montes wines is a result of the particularly profitable wine-growing region of Chile. Lots of sun and a sufficient water supply offer the optimal conditions for an excellent wine quality. In particular, the changing temperatures between day and night promote the formation of aromas. In addition to the ideal climatic conditions, the well-thought-out selection of grape varieties is also important. For example, Syrah is planted in Colchagua, while Pinot Noir or Cabernet Franc is predominantly used in Curicó. Montes was best known for the Montes Alpha Cabernet Sauvignon. A complex, concentrated and not least modern red wine. It illustrates the special climatic conditions in Chile and helped Montes as one of the first brand wines in Chile to achieve a breakthrough. Aurelio Montes himself is considered the “revolutionary of Chilean red wine”. But for him it was never an option to rest on his initial success and reputation. He keeps working on new projects creatively and with determination. One of them is the Kaiken winery. This wine is made in neighboring Argentina. But Montes is also active in California and produces wines under his name. Here he uses the optimal grape quality that the Napa Valley offers. In short, Aurelio Montes, with his distinctive expertise and in combination with the unique conditions of nature and the climate in Chile, has driven the success of his winery like no other. Montes decisively shaped the character of Chilean wines and strengthened the identity of the South American wineries. Episode 109