Three Extraordinary Women at Kaiken Wines
Story and Photos by Christopher J Davies
Bodega Aiken was founded in 2001 in Mendoza, Argentina by Auriel Montes, a famous wine producer from Chile. It has since become a popular tour destination. The winery offers amazing wines and now houses one of Mendoza’s best restaurants, Ramos Generales Restaurant, which is spearheaded by celebrity Argentinian Chef, and master of wood-fired cookery, Francis Mallmann.
During my trip to Argentina, I was truly impressed by how many women are working throughout the Argentinean wine industry. It is especially remarkable when you consider how the industry used to be dominated by males.
During my visit to Kaiken, I was seated at a table and had the opportunity to taste wines with three exceptional, highly qualified women. I could see how well they worked together and represented their brand. It was apparent that all three loved their jobs and enjoyed the culture of the company.
Before we went to have dinner, I asked them if they wouldn’t mind if I took their portraits. They agreed.
Ana Correas Argerich
Commercial Director
Born into a wine-making family, Ana's grandfather was the president of Alta Vista Winery; she grew up walking through vineyards.
Ana graduated with honors in business administration and worked in banking and senior management at a major candy company in Chile. She spent three months in Europe before joining Kaiken in 2014. In three months, she was elevated to Export Manager, in charge of the entire Latin American market. Six years later, in 2020, Ana was appointed Commercial Director. Ana recently obtained her MBA in Business and lives with her husband and young son, Juan.
Nicole Monteleone
Agronomical Engineer (a.k.a. Vineyard Manager)
Ever since she was young, Nicole has shown a great interest in nature and stood up for environmental care. She graduated from the School of Agricultural Sciences of the National University of Cuyo in 2013 with a degree in Agricultural Engineering.
Carolina Macaya De Moras
Hospitality Coordinator
Carolina was born in Chile, where she lived until moving to Rhode Island to attend the Wheeler School in Providence. She then returned to Santiago, Chile where she graduated from the Manpower Institute as a Bilingual Executive Assistant. In 2020, she joined the Kaiken Wines team, heading the hospitality department.
