[Interview] Passionate 70s Motorcycle Enthusiast... "Wind-Infused Wine to Launch Next Year"

Aurelio Montes, Chairman of Montes Group Interview
Chilean 'National Wine' Surpasses 15 Million Bottles Sold in Korea
New Icon Wine 'Montes Muse' Unveiled... Strengthening Competitiveness in the Premium Market
Symbol of Challenge 'Patagonia' Wine to Launch Next Year

"Considering the strengths of Chile's terroir, I am confident that Chilean wine has ample potential to garner even more enthusiastic responses than it does now."

Aurelio Montes, chairman of the Montes Group, recently stated this in an interview with Asia Economy at 'Down Space' in Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, evaluating that Chilean wine still holds high growth potential in the domestic market.

He expressed confidence that as Chile continues to achieve gradual improvements in wine quality through ongoing investment and research based on its diverse grape-growing environments, people will seek out Chilean wine more passionately once they truly experience its essence.

Aurelio Montes, Chairman of Montes Group, is taking a commemorative photo after an interview with Asia Economy.

Montes Has Sufficient Competitiveness in the Premium Wine Market... Unveils New Weapon 'Muse'

Chairman Montes is the founder of 'Vina Montes' after working at Chile’s renowned wineries ‘San Pedro’ and ‘Undurraga’.

From the beginning, Vina Montes has focused on producing premium Chilean wines under the banner of a 'quality revolution.' To this end, it was the first in the Chilean wine industry to plant grapevines on mountain slopes to increase sunlight exposure and introduced 'Night Harvest,' harvesting grapes at night to maximize fruit freshness.

Chairman Montes emphasized that since Vina Montes was established with the aim of producing premium wines, it already possesses sufficient competitiveness in both domestic and international markets where demand for high-end wines is increasing.

Vina Montes operates the 'Icon' series as its top-tier lineup, which includes the existing 'Montes Purple Angel,' 'Montes Folly,' 'Montes Alpha M,' and 'Montes Taita.' In line with Chairman Montes’s visit to Korea, the winery introduced a new icon wine, 'Montes Muse,' expanding the series portfolio to five wines.

Chairman Montes explained, "Montes Muse is a wine dedicated to the women who have inspired and supported me throughout my life as a winemaker. I created it thinking of my mother, wife, and granddaughters." The first vintage, 'Montes Muse 2019,' features 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from the Maipo Valley in the Central Valley Region. It is a deep ruby-colored full-bodied red wine characterized by rich fruit aromas reminiscent of cassis and cherry syrup, complemented by tobacco notes from 18 months of oak aging.

New Icon Wine of Vi?a Montes, 'Montes Muse'

Chairman Montes described Chile as an 'isolated paradise for grape cultivation.' Geographically, Chile is isolated by the Andes Mountains to the east, the Pacific Ocean to the west, the Antarctic Ocean to the south, and the Atacama Desert to the north. Due to these geographic conditions, Chile is the only wine region in history that has never been affected by phylloxera. Montes emphasized, "Especially, the cold Humboldt Current originating from the Antarctic Ocean flows along the coast, positively influencing the wine regions by preserving a fresh sensation, which is very beneficial for premium grape cultivation."

Innate Passionate Person, Active and Proactive Attitude Is the Source of Success

Scenery of Apalta Vineyard in Colchagua Valley, Vi?a Montes.

Born in 1949, Chairman Montes is a natural enthusiast who still enjoys helicopters and motorcycles in his mid-70s. He stressed that his passionate temperament was the biggest factor behind his great success as a winery founder, manager, and winemaker. Montes recalled, "I have always lived a life where I take initiative and act proactively rather than reacting passively to any situation," and evaluated himself as "a person with DNA that compels me to take on challenges despite all the risks, as seen in the ongoing Patagonia Project, which many would have advised against."

The 'Patagonia Project' involves cultivating vineyards in the Chilo? Archipelago in the Patagonia region, located 1,200 km south of Santiago, Chile’s capital. The Chilo? Archipelago has been considered unsuitable for grape cultivation due to its cold and humid climate. However, Chairman Montes focused on the increasing market demand for elegant wines produced in cool mountainous areas and judged that the warming climate due to global warming made this a worthwhile challenge.

Ultimately, Vina Montes became the first in the industry to enter the Patagonia region and, as the sole producer so far, has planted and is cultivating seven grape varieties well-suited to cool climates: Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Alvarino, Gewurztraminer, and Pinot Noir.

Aurelio Montes, Chairman of Montes Group, is conducting an interview with Asia Economy.

The first results of the Patagonia Project are expected to be unveiled next year, with sparkling wine as the leading product. Chairman Montes described it as "a wine where you can feel the wind in the glass," adding, "It is very fresh with an attractively wild acidity."

Regarding the choice of sparkling wine as the first product, he explained, "Due to limited sunlight, even when harvest is delayed to maximize grape sugar content, the natural alcohol content only reaches about 10-10.5%. This made producing still wine difficult. To exceed the legal minimum alcohol content of 11.5%, we chose sparkling wine, which can increase alcohol through secondary bottle fermentation like Champagne." Vina Montes has currently determined that Alvarino and Gewurztraminer are unsuitable among the seven varieties and plans to continue its efforts with the remaining varieties.

"Will Continue to Grow as Chile’s Icon in the Korean Market"

Vina Montes is a winery that has left a clear mark on the Korean wine market. It was first imported into Korea in January 1998, gained recognition when selected as the main wine for the gala dinner of the 2002 FIFA World Cup draw, and became popular by being used at official state banquets during the Chilean president’s visit in 2003. It has been thriving for 27 years. In 2019, cumulative sales surpassed 10 million bottles, and in the first half of last year, it became the first single brand in Korea to exceed 15 million bottles in cumulative sales. This is why Montes wine is called the 'national wine.'

As Vina Montes has solidified its position in the domestic market over a long period, Korea holds special meaning for Chairman Montes. He said, "It has been well over 20 years since I first visited Korea. Every time I visit, I feel as comfortable as being at home. Above all, I feel happy knowing that Montes, as one of the first Chilean wine brands to enter Korea, played a significant role in establishing Chilean wine in the Korean market." He emphasized, "We will continue to maintain the positive brand image that Montes has built in Korea and, based on accumulated capabilities, make continuous efforts to help Montes grow further as Chile’s iconic wine."

Exterior view of Apalta Winery in Vi?a Montes.