San Javier de Locomilla, a city and commune located in the province of Linares within the Maule Region in the geographical centre of Chile, 31 km to the northwest of the provincial capital, Linares, and some 270 km south of Santiago, a centre founded in 1852 that stands out for its beautiful lanscapes and its vineyards in the Locomilla Valley, famous for the production of renowned Chilean wines, has been designated as a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy.
This title was awarded by UNESCO in late 2025 as part of its Creative Cities Network expansion to a city highly recognized for its unique culinary heritage, particularly its strong ties to agriculture and local wine industry.
The award recognizes the commune’s sustained effort to enhance its wine-– growing heritage, the generation transmission of rural knowledge, and its ability to articulate tradition, culture, and sustainability from the heart of Maule Valley.
The region is known for its local produce and a variety of wineries, such as the renowned Viña Balduzzi and Viña González Bastias, which contribute to the area’s rich gastronomic offering.
San Javier de Locomilla lies in one of the oldest wine regions of Chile, known for producing distinctive, big, fruity reds like Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenère and Merlot, and increasingly prized old - vine Carignan, Syrah, Chardonnay and País grapes, rich fruit expressions of a land features alluvial soils and a Mediterranean climate with significant temperature swings, conditions that support the production of unique and vibrant reds.
While a bulk wine producer the area is undergoing a quality renaissance utilizing old vines and modern technique to create world - class, concentrated wines with rich dark fruit and earthy notes.
San Javier de Locomilla also features a range of dining experiences, from traditional Chilean food to modern options like the production of a versatile, popular longaniza, a, long, thin, spiced sausage, featuring pork and various seasonings like garlic, paprika, and regional herbs, used as ingredient for pasta, stews, often eaten fried, grilled as well as accompaniment to legumes, present in the traditional "Asado" (grilled meat) or used for homemade American style burgers.
One of the key factors behind San Javier de Locomilla designation was the consistent work carried out over more than four years to raise awareness and promote the winemaking heritage of the Chilean centre, along with the commitment of the local ecosystem comprised of academics, universities, winegrowers, viticulturists, public and private organizations, and researchers, who actively collaborated in the process.
The ”San Javier, Heritage Wine Capital” Plan was a fundamental instrument in this journey, aligning actions with the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals and the agreements of 2022 World Culture Summit, which has allowed, the commune’s cultural and gastronomic identiy to be positioned nationally and internationally.
The Mayor of San Javier de Locomilla, Jorge Silva Sepúlveda said that not only at the local and regional level, but also at the national level and now with this global recognition, for the first time in Chilean history, wine is recognized as a gastronomic element and not just a beverage.
This fill the community with profound pride, because UNESCO recognizes San Javier de Locomilla winemaking heritage, the effort and legacy passed down from generation to generation by winegrowers and vineyard owners, local heritage grape variety, and above all the commune’s traditions and customs and this designation confirms that San Javier de Locomilla is the heritage capital of Chile.
The Mayor, who also chairs the Wine Tourism Commission of the Association of Tourist Municipalities of Chile, emphasized that this designation opens a great opportunity to be part of a global network that brings 408 cities in more than 100 countries, to apply for international funding, and to develop projects that strengthen San Javier de Locomilla identity, promote tourism, culture, and local economic development.
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