Pioneering Chilean Winery Receives Critical Acclaim from Respected Authorities in 2020;
Winery’s Sustainability Practices Essential to Future Success
Santiago, Chile—January 6, 2021—Viña Montes introduced the world to the quality and distinctiveness of Chilean fine wines. For the last three decades, under the leadership of Aurelio Montes, Sr. and Aurelio Montes, Jr., the winery continues to prove that Chile’s wines can stand alongside the finest wines in the world. During 2020, one of the most challenging years around the world, Viña Montes remained steadfast in their mission to create sustainably produced, high quality wines that express Chile’s finest vineyards. As a result, their efforts were recognized by the industry’s most notable authorities of wine and tourism. Awards and acclaim include a recognition of a lifetime of contributions, multiple Top 100 nods, numerous 90+ point scores, as well as recognition for the winery’s exceptional visitor experience.
ACCOLADES FOR VIÑA MONTES IN 2020
• Lifetime Achievement Award 2020 from the International Wine Challenge (IWC). This London-based competition, considered the most rigorous wine competition in the world, honors Aurelio Montes, Sr. for his sizeable contributions to the wine industry.
• Top 100 Wineries of 2020 from Wine & Spirits Magazine. A four-time winner of this award, Viña Montes is called a ‘pioneer’ by editor Joshua Green. The magazine also names the 2019 Montes Classic Sauvignon Blanc a “Best Buy”.
• Top 100 Wines of 2020 from critic James Suckling for the 2017 Purple Angel, the winery’s ultimate expression of their estate vineyards. Mr. Suckling rates the wine 98 points out of 100 and calls the wine ‘balanced and refined.’ In addition, Mr. Suckling awards the 2017 Montes Folly 96 points calling it “So drinkable and beautiful.” Of the 2017 Montes Alpha M, he says the wine has “beautiful intensity and richness” worthy of a 96-point score.
• Travelers’ Choice Award 2020 from Tripadvisor. Travelers’ Choice awards recognize accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
• #1 Vineyard in Chile, #4 in the World from World’s Best Vineyards Awards. Created to honor the finest in modern wine tourism, World’s Best Vineyards names Viña Montes the top vineyard in Chile and among the top 5 in the world.
“Throughout 2020, our hearts have been buoyed by the incredible recognition and critical acclaim for our dedication to our vineyards, our team, and our customers,” said Aurelio Montes, Sr. “As this challenging year draws to a close, our entire team says thank you to all our customers. We have a bright outlook on the coming years.”
LOOKING AHEAD
After more than 30 years producing premium wine with passion and dedication, Viña Montes continues to break boundaries, playing a pivotal role in enhancing awareness for Chilean wines around the world. Part of this commitment is a continued focus on innovation, particularly around sustainability. This focus has led the winery, among many things, to combat water scarcity and experiment with dry-farmed vines, generating an annual savings in water usage equivalent to the consumption of 20,000 people.
“I firmly believe that our commitment to our people and our environment are fundamental to our past and future successes,” said Mr. Montes. “Without a healthy community, we cannot innovate and produce the finest wines from our estates. Without our commitment to our terroir, we have nothing.”
In the vineyards, Montes expends huge effort researching terroirs best suited for each variety. This viticultural micromanagement lowers or eliminates the need for chemical or human intervention to correct problems with vine vigor, pests, or other environmental conditions that impact vine health and wine quality. Other measures including generating organic compost at each vineyard site, harvesting rainwater, using computer-controlled irrigation further reducing dependence on outside water sources, planting of additional trees to support local ecology. Organic compost is generated at each vineyard. Rainwater is harvested in reservoirs at each vineyard. Use of computer-controlled irrigation minimizes dependence on outside water sources. Recycled gray water is returned to the environment, further decreasing the operation’s environmental footprint on local ecology.
About Viña Montes
Founded in 1988, Viña Montes is the brainchild of Aurelio Montes and Douglas Murray, both veterans of the wine industry. Along with partners Alfredo Vidaurre and Pedro Grand, they created Viña Montes with the goal of elevating the quality and reputation of Chilean wines – both in Chile and around the world. In the decades since its founding, Viña Montes has played a pivotal role in enhancing awareness, affinity, and acclaim for Chilean wines in more than 100 countries worldwide. Viña Montes is a benchmark for fine wines from Chile.
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Sarah Jones Gillihan
Benson Marketing Group
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