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Case & Cork

Producer Mendoza, Argentina

Kaiken

Kaikenes are wild Patagonian geese that fly back and forth over the Andes. Chilean winemaker Aurelio Montes did much the same, crossing to Mendoza, where he founded Kaiken in 2002 after a few scouting trips.

His aim is great Mendoza wine that brings together the best of Chile and Argentina. It is working: the Sommelier Wine Awards named Kaiken New World Producer of the Year in 2024, and the winery is now a certified B-Corp.

The vineyards are in the heart of Mendoza and down in the Uco Valley. Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon lead, and Kaiken has helped save some old Cabernet vineyards, including one in Vistalba first planted in 1910. They also make sparkling wine from high, chalky Uco vineyards, and work with the open-fire chef Francis Mallmann, who has a restaurant at the winery.

Kaiken wines