Aconcagua Valley is a wine region in central western Chile, located about 50 miles north of Santiago. The valley's basin is shaped by the Aconcagua River, which flows from the Andes Mountains into the Pacific Ocean. Irrigation is made easy by this river, and the alluvial and volcanic soils here are quite fertile, making this a superb place to grown vines. This is an east-west valley, with vines in the eastern sector better suited to Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Carmenere, while vineyards in the western reaches, some no more than seven miles from the Pacific, are ideal for Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Vineyards range from a height of more than 3000 feet in the east to 150 feet in the west. The coastal Sauvignon Blancs, a relatively new project, have been superb wines, offering intense citrus and tropical fruit notes, while the reds have very good acidity and delicate herbal notes. (Wine/Appellations)