From Chile across the Andes: How Aurelio Montes discovered Mendoza
Aurelio Montes, founding partner of Viña Montes in Chile, traveled through Argentina several times starting in 2000 and recognized the potential of the Mendoza vineyards. In 2002, he founded Kaiken Wines in the Vistalba district, Luján de Cuyo — a step across the Andes that consciously recalls the Caiquén: the Patagonian wild geese that migrate seasonally between Argentina and Chile and gave the winery its name. The building where Kaiken produces today dates back to 1920 and was originally built by Italo Calise — at that time for wine, olive oil, and tartaric acid all at once.
Aurelio Montes Jr. joined the project in 2007, initially as cellar master, and moved permanently to Mendoza with his family in 2011. Today, head winemaker Juan Pablo Solís, who comes from a winemaking family, is responsible for cellar operations — together with Gustavo Hörmann as General Manager, who also comes from the Montes environment in Chile. The continuity of this team reflects the ambition to permanently combine Chilean craftsmanship and Argentine terroir, rather than playing them off against each other.
Three sites, a cellar based on Feng Shui principles, and a B-Corporation certification
Kaiken manages its own vineyards at three locations with different soils: 20 hectares in Vistalba, 64 hectares in neighboring Agrelo (both Luján de Cuyo), as well as 35 hectares in Los Chacayes in the Uco Valley. Among others, Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc grow there. In Vistalba, there are also Cabernet Sauvignon vines that were planted as early as 1910 — an asset that Kaiken actively protects and uses for its prestige cuvées.
The underground cellar in Vistalba was designed according to Feng Shui principles; the facility features fermentation tanks between 12,000 and 30,000 liters for small batches as well as 100,000-liter tanks for aging and concrete vats. Kaiken holds a B-Corporation certification, produces vegan wines, and relies on biodynamic and organic methods in the vineyard — including water efficiency measures. The Sommelier Wine Awards named Kaiken New World Producer of the Year in 2024.
Malbec from century-old vines, blends with Francis Mallmann, and a broad assortment
The assortment ranges from accessible entry-level wines to the flagship Kaiken Mai — a single-varietal Malbec from three Mendoza sites, aged for 18 months in new French oak, then for another two years in the bottle before sale. The name Mai means
