Nicolás García is the winemaker at Kaune Wines, a boutique winery dedicated exclusively to Cabernet Sauvignon from the coastal, dry-farmed region of Chile’s Curicó Valley.
An agronomist and sommelier with more than 12 years of wine production experience, García has led Kaune’s viticultural and winemaking vision since the vineyard’s early years, focusing on expressing the freshness, vibrant acidity, and elegance of the unique and remote Altos de Caone terroir. Media Inquiries: Daniela Peralta daniela.peralta@kaunewines.com | https://kaunewines.com/en
What’s the ONE THING most unique, authentic, & memorable about your brand?
We chose a place that was not on the map of Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon, fully aware that there were already world-renowned valleys celebrated for this grape variety. We preferred the challenge of building our own identity to the safer, well-established path.
And we didn’t just choose the place; we wanted to give it a voice. The area’s earliest inhabitants called it Caune. Today, the region is known as Caone. We decided to revive the original name in the winery itself: Kaune. We wanted this corner of the Curicó Valley to be recognized for what it truly is, not for what others expected it to be.
That same mindset was present from day one. In the rockiest sections of the vineyard, the planting contractor refused to plant the vines. There were too many stones and almost no soil. They insisted the vines would never take root. We told them to plant them anyway. If they found a little soil nearby, they could add a shovel to each vine. We were going to do what we know best: make wine even if it meant choosing the more difficult path.
Describe how and what you’d do with your winemaking career or winery business if you were not constrained.
If there were no limitations, I would fully develop Altos de Caone as a benchmark for a fresher, coastal expression of Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon. That would mean conducting extensive trials, experimenting with different winemaking techniques, and creating a range of wines and products from the same grape to showcase its many expressions.
I would also continue advancing regenerative agriculture practices and move toward an increasingly natural approach to vineyard management. We are already prioritizing mechanical weed control, and the next natural step would be to incorporate vineyard-made preparations and solutions produced directly on the estate.
What is the One Wine most emblematic of your brand and/or winemaking style? Tell us its story.
Reserva Directorio. It is the most complete and ambitious expression of who we are. While our other wines reveal the purity and freshness of our terroir, Reserva Directorio best reflects the full potential of Altos de Caone when given the time, careful selection, and extended ageing it deserves.
Crafted from the finest block of our vineyard and aged longer in French oak barrels, it offers greater depth, structure, and complexity while preserving the coastal character and vibrant freshness that define Kaune. It is the wine that best embodies our philosophy: daring to produce Cabernet Sauvignon in an unconventional place and pushing its potential as far as it can go.
Bonus Question: Why Winemaking?
Because it brings together my two greatest passions. On one hand, agriculture: the connection to the land, caring for the vines, and the satisfaction of watching something grow and bear fruit.
On the other, the art of creating aromas and flavors, transforming that fruit into something that inspires emotion and is meant to be shared.