i. Biography
Before Juan Pablo Solis became Head Winemaker at Bodega Kaiken, the work had already trained him in the habits that matter most in a cellar: patience, repetition, and close attention to detail. The move from farm to winery at Bodega Kaiken in Luján de Cuyo, Mendoza, put him inside the daily mechanics of house style, where technique is built through steady work rather than theory alone. In his own account, that proximity is also what sharpened his attachment to Kaiken’s Malbec line: "That ended up making me fall in love with it."
The Climb
Juan Pablo Solis trained at Don Bosco School before entering the cellar at Bodega Kaiken in Luján de Cuyo, Mendoza, where the pace of the work required discipline and consistency. From 2015–2021, he served as second winemaker, a position that kept him close to the routine decisions that shape a winery’s character over time. Since 2021, he has been Head Winemaker of Bodega Kaiken, taking the same working knowledge into the top role at the house.
Today
At Bodega Kaiken, Solis works in the register the winery has made most legible through Malbec. The variety is the clearest way the house speaks about place, and his work uses it to register the differences across Mendoza without overstatement. Under his watch, the wines turn that premise into texture and form, with each cuvée carrying a distinct reading of the region. Mai is the winery’s first icon wine, made as an expression of Malbec from Vistalba, Mendoza, using old vines planted in 1910. Ultra Malbec is described as a blend of Malbecs that reflects the winery’s style and captures the essence of Argentine terroir; Solis describes it this way: "It is a wine of marked character that reflects Kaiken's style, that philosophy of capturing the essence of the Argentine terroir." The current body of work also includes Boulder, identified as the winery’s icon wine, and Frankly, both from Mendoza.
Signature
Juan's signature wines include Mai, Ultra Malbec, Boulder, and Frankly. Read together, they show a winemaking practice centered on Malbec, on origin, and on the house goal of making place readable in the glass.
In Their Words “It is a wine of marked character that reflects Kaiken's style, that philosophy of capturing the essence of the Argentine terroir.”
Recognition
The clearest recognition in Solis’s career is the progression itself: second winemaker from 2015 to 2021, then Head Winemaker from 2021 onward at one Mendoza winery. In a trade shaped by continuity and house memory, that sequence signals trust in the work already done. His current wines give that recognition a concrete shape. Mai carries the detail of Vistalba Malbec and old vines planted in 1910. Ultra Malbec frames a broader Mendoza expression through a blend of Malbecs. Boulder holds the status of icon wine. Frankly completes the named group of current wines tied to his role at the winery.
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Juan
What is Juan Pablo Solis's current role?
As of 2026, Juan Pablo Solis is Head Winemaker at Bodega Kaiken.
Where did Juan Pablo Solis train or study?
Juan Pablo Solis trained at Don Bosco School.
