Viña Montes

The winery

Viña Montes was founded in 1988 by Aurelio Montes and Douglas Murray, with the idea of producing wines in Chile of a higher quality than was then being exported. Its first Cabernet Sauvignon, Montes Alpha, led the way, and in 1995 the purchase of the Finca de Apalta, on the slopes of the Cordillera de la Costa in the Colchagua Valley, gave it the base for its most acclaimed wines: Montes Alpha M (1996), the Syrah Montes Folly (2000) and the Carmenère Purple Angel (2003). Today the company also farms in Marchigüe, Aconcagua Costa (Zapallar), Itata and Chiloé, has been a B Corp since 2024 and keeps a sister winery, Kaiken, in Mendoza.

The Apalta winery, opened in 2004, was designed on Feng Shui principles and works by gravity, without pumps, to handle the grapes gently. It is reached by a wooden walkway over a pond, and inside the highlight is the barrel room, with more than 800 French oak barrels arranged in a semicircle, where Gregorian chants play all year round. The Apalta reds (Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenère and Syrah) are the calling card, complemented by sparkling wines such as Sparkling Angel and Lúmina.

The visit is organized around tours with tasting (Ícono, Doble Ícono, Andes Deluxe with wines from Montes and Kaiken, and Sunset from October to March), tastings of icon wines and verticals of older vintages, a guided hike along the botanical trail on Cerro Divisadero, and experiences that combine the tour with lunch at Fuegos de Apalta, Francis Mallmann's wood-fire restaurant set among the vines. The Tour Evolution was recognized as Best Wine Tourism Experience at the Premios Enoturismo Chile 2025 (Chile's wine tourism awards). There is a wine and souvenir shop, and a colonial guesthouse booked through Airbnb. All experiences require advance online booking.