[Interview] "No Compromise on Quality"... Chile's Pride Becomes Korea's 'National Wine'

Montes Jr.: "Oak Aging Is Like Salt in Cooking"


Gregorian Chants Play Year-Round in the Barrel Room

"Making wine is like cooking; just as good dishes come from good ingredients, good wine is made from good grapes."

Montes Alpha, produced by the Chilean winery 'Viña Montes' that elevated Chilean wine to a world-class level, is considered Korea's 'national wine.' It was served as the main wine at the group draw ceremony for the 2002 FIFA World Cup Korea-Japan, and selected as the official dinner wine at the 2005 Busan APEC Summit. Since its Korean debut in 1998, cumulative sales reached 17 million bottles as of last year. With its reasonable price and outstanding quality, it has gained broad support from both beginners and enthusiasts, and is credited with expanding the domestic wine market over the past 29 years.

Aurelio Montes Jr., the chief winemaker of Montes who recently visited Korea, emphasized during an interview with The Asia Business Daily at Nara Cella Down Space in Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, "Montes is consistent in never compromising on quality."

Aurelio Montes Jr., Senior Winemaker at Montes, recently gave an interview to The Asia Business Daily at 'Naracella Down Space' in Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul.

Producer of Korea's National Wine 'Montes Alpha' and Successor of Montes Group

Montes Jr. is the son of Aurelio Montes, founder and chairman of Montes Group, and now leads Montes, following in his father's footsteps. After studying agriculture and enology at university, he traveled to major wine regions around the world, gaining extensive knowledge and experience in winery management and winemaking. He joined Montes Winery in 2007, leading the production of Montes' iconic wines and the Alpha premium line. Currently, he is focused on combining the traditional methods passed down from his father with modern technology.

'Montes Wings' is the wine born from the fusion of Montes Sr.'s experience and Montes Jr.'s techniques. Montes Wings blends the Carmenere and Cabernet Franc varieties to add structure and complexity. While Carmenere is typically grown on fertile valley floors, Montes Jr. was convinced he could achieve better results from harsher hillsides and chose grapes grown on the steep slopes of Apalta.

Montes Jr. explained, "I believed that growing Carmenere in poor, high-altitude areas would enhance its fresh acidity. After intense debate with my father during the winemaking process, we decided to blend the varieties, and in a blind tasting among the Montes team, the result received overwhelming support, leading to the birth of Montes Wings." Montes Wings earned the highest score at the '2024 Global Carmenere Masters' competition, being selected as a Master. It is known for its smooth finish and elegant fruitiness.

100% Oak Barrel Aging... "The Salt of Cooking"

Montes Jr. analyzes the terroir of Apalta, the core production region for Montes, and is directly involved in cultivation. Chile is geographically long and narrow, bordered by the Andes Mountains to the east, the Pacific Ocean to the west, the Southern Ocean to the south, and the Atacama Desert to the north. By leveraging these unique geographical features, Montes reflects soil characteristics to cultivate optimal grapes, devoting significant effort to hand-selecting high-quality grapes. He explained, "At Montes, we do not simply grow grapes; we analyze and develop our own vineyards and hand-cultivate grapes from start to finish. To maximize the characteristics of each grape, we analyze the soil and climate to match each variety with the optimal conditions."

Furthermore, Montes insists on 100% oak barrel aging, choosing different types of oak each year based on the characteristics of the grapes, and avoids excessive intervention in the winemaking process to preserve the pure fruit flavors. Montes Jr. stated, "Recently, many say that not using oak has become a trend, but I disagree. While some believe salt is unhealthy, how much salt you use in cooking dramatically affects the flavor—just as the careful and precise selection of oak is crucial for wine. Every year, we select the best oak for each grape's character to complete the wine's flavor profile."

Montes is also known for designing its winery based on the principles of feng shui, with over 800 French oak barrels arranged in a semi-circular barrel room, where Gregorian chants play year-round. The rhythm of these chants, resembling the human breathing cycle, is believed to guide the wine into a meditative and relaxed state, helping it mature with the most stable and perfect structure—a unique winemaking method that Montes insists on.

Montes Jr. said, "The Apalta winery, completed in 2004, was designed according to the principles of Eastern feng shui, arranging water, metal, soil, and wood, and introduced a gravity-flow system to move wines using gravity. This eliminates artificial pumping to achieve delicate tannins. I wanted to create an environment where nature and people exist in harmony."

He continued, "There are studies showing that the crystalline structure of water changes depending on the music played. When classical or rock music is played, the water forms different crystals. I believe that beautiful words and good music change the structure of water. I wanted to create the most peaceful and reverent environment for iconic wines to mature. Wine is not simply grape juice, but the result of history, environment, and family legacy. Some visitors are so moved by the solemn atmosphere here that they are brought to tears," he added.

Montes has already established a solid reputation in the Korean market as a 'high-value wine.' Montes Jr. said, "Korea is a very important 'big market' and a place where expectations for Montes are high. As Korean consumers seek new experiences, we are considering how to allow the new generation to experience the premium value of Montes, and are planning promotions and collaborations that will deliver new experiences to our customers."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.