Show 217, April 1, 2017: Aurelio Montes Sr., Montes Wines, Chile

Aurelio Montes SrIn 1988, four enterprising partners (including winemaker Aurelio Montes Sr.), sharing a common dream, embarked on a project to make high quality Chilean wines at a time when, strange as it may sound, such an idea was considered a high-risk venture.

Starting from the ground up with modest resources Vina Montes led what became a new wave of producers making sustainable, premium-quality wines, and adhering to solid management principals.

“Considered one of the most able practitioners in the cellar, Winemaker Aurelio Montes has always maintained that 80 per cent of good wine comes from the vineyards and only 20 per cent from the cellar. So vineyard care is paramount, enabling us to produce world-class wines. From the vineyard rows to the cellar, we meticulously study every variable in the winemaking process. Our commitment to method and process is almost obsessive. Nothing is left to chance.”

Aurelio Montes Sr., President of Montes Winery, is our guest.