The wine regions of Chile are to be re-organised on an East-West axis rather than the North-South system which has been in existence for more than a century.
This was revealed by Mario Pablo Silva, managing director of Casa Silva Wines. in an exclusive interview with www.hospitalityenews.com.
‘I am president of an umbrella body which  represents Wines of Chile as well as smaller producers and we have agreed with the Government to introduce new regional designations’, he said. ‘The Chilean terroir is influenced by the Pacific ocean and the Andes and so the climate changes as you move from East to West. It is more informative therefore to describe regions as being coastal, central or mountainous rather than North or South.’

Under the new system Chile’s famous wine-growing valleys , such as Limari, Aconcagua, Casablanca, Maipo, Colchagua and Cuirico will retain their names, but the regions will also have a further designation such as Aconcagua Coastal, Casablanca Central or Colchagua Andes.