I can hear you think: do they make wine in Brazil? … well, the answer is definitely yes! And they are increasingly good at it. In this article I will provide an overview of what Brazilian wine is all about.
Colonization & vineyards: a short history of Brazilian wine
South-America had no native vineyards before colonization started. That’s why the history of winemaking in Brazil dates back to 1532, when the Portuguese colonizers started planting vines around São Paolo. They weren’t very successful with winemaking due to the humid subtropical climate conditions. Over the next 3 centuries, the Jesuits and settlers from the Azores island group had more success when they moved further south into Brazil, where the climate is cooler.
It wasn’t until the 1870’s that wine growing really started to flourish. This was the moment that thousands of Italian immigrants started to settle in the south of Brazil, around the port-city Porte Alegre. They were granted small plots of land in the hills of Serra Gaucha. And they started recreating a little piece of home: keeping livestock, making ham and cheeses, cultivating fruits and vegetables, recreating pasta & pizza dishes, and of course…planting their own vineyards. That is how the Vale dos Vinhedos (Wine Valley, Figure 1) arose in the hills. It is an area that was not intended to be a bubbly wine region to begin with, but it became one of the benchmark wine regions of Brazil.
Since the 1970’s, there has been a gradual increase in the quality of the wines. The investment of large amounts of money by market-leading companies such as Moët&Chandon in Brazilian wineries, has uplifted the market. Besides the large wine producers, the Italian small-scale – or even boutique – winemaking practices have been preserved, which makes Vale dos Vinhedos one of the best kept secrets for wine, food & culture travel enthusiasts.
A grand country: facts & figures
Brazil is the 5th largest country in the world and has 214 million inhabitants. The surface of Brazil is nearly as big as the whole of Europe. For us Europeans, the immense differences are difficult to grasp, so let me make some comparisons (See Figure 2):
the distance between the most northern and most southern vineyard in Brazil is approximately 3500 kilometres, that is the same distance as from the Netherlands to Turkey, or from Austria to Saudi-Arabia;
in the south of Brazil, where most of the wine production is concentrated, the wine regions together span more than 1.000 kilometres, that is a 12 hour drive covering the whole length of France.
After Argentina and Chile, Brazil is the third largest wine producing country in South-America (see Table 1). Compared to France and China (8000.000 and 785.000 ha respectively) Brazil is about one tenth the size, with 80.000 ha of land surface covered in vineyards. Brazil is approximately in the same size category as Germany (100.000 ha), and is nearly twice as large as Austria (45.000 ha) and New-Zealand (40.000 ha). More than 85% of Brazilian wine is consumed locally and doesn’t reach the international market. If it does, wines are exported mostly to the US, Canada, UK, and China. The country has approximately 1.3000 wine companies, but many more producers. Only in the Vale dos Vinhedos there are already 15.000 small-scale grape producers.
Table 1. Approximate number of hectares of vineyards for several countries.
Country | Number of hectares (ha) |
Spain | 960.000 ha |
France | 800.000 ha |
China | 785.000 ha |
Italy | 719.000 ha |
Argentina | 216.000 ha |
Australia | 146.000 ha |
Chile | 136.000 ha |
South-Africa | 122.000 ha |
Germany | 100.000 ha |
Brazil | 80.000 ha |
Austria | 45.000 ha |
New-Zealand | 40.000 ha |
the Netherlands | 250 ha :) |
Wine regions of Brazil
Most of the wine regions of Brazil are located in the south, where the climate is cooler and more humid. The heart of the area, situated around the wine capital Bento Gonçalves in Vale do Vinhedos (Serra Gaúcha hills), lies around 30 degrees latitude, which is quite similar to for instance the Western Cape in South-Africa (33 degrees) and Sydney Australia (33 degrees), Figure 3.
Brazil knows 8 wine regions with a geographical indication (IG) and 2 with a denomination of origin (DO). In fact, one of the IG’s – Vale do São Francisco – and the second DO – Altos do Pinto Bandeira, have been recognized as such in November 2022. This is very recent and further emphasizes the development of the wine production sector. Besides the demarcated zones, there are 6 emerging wine regions; the red zones in Figure 1. Further down in the article, a more detailed description of the wine regions can be found.
Common grape varieties, fine wine…and mango’s!
Historically, most of the wines produced in Brazil were from vines from the Vitis Labrusca, including grape varieties such as the Rubia, Isabella, Concord, and Niagara (common grapes). These vines were introduced from North-America. The Vitis Labrusca was inherent in North-America, before vines from the Vitis Vinifera arrived from Europe. Brazil is one of the leading export markets for common table grapes (and for mango’s!), particularly from Vale de São Francisco in the north. When wines are made from these grape varieties, they are often described as earthy and foxy, very different from wines from the European Vitis Vinifera. They are bit acidic and low in alcohol (up to 11%). To date, 80% of the wine production in Brazil is still from these foxy grape varieties. They are referred to as common wines.
Interestingly, Brazilian winemakers refer to grape varieties such as merlot and chardonnay as fine grape varieties; grape varieties that among other markets are more and more referred to as ‘common’. In other parts of the world we increasingly see that winemakers are moving away from more generic varieties such as merlot and chardonnay and are going back to the indigenous grape varieties; varieties that thrive in the inherent climate and soils. Examples are the grüner veltliner in Austria, the riesling in Germany or the pinotage in South-Africa. However, in Brazil this movement has not commenced. And the question is, if it actually can, since grapevines are not indigenous to the South-American continent.
What further characterizes Brazilian wine regions, is the great diversity of planted fine grape varieties; though it still is only 20% of the total plant. Merlot and chardonnay are the most planted, but you will also find grape varieties such as cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, syrah, pinot noir, sauvignon blanc, riesling, glera (yes, the Italians 😊), moscato, and many more. Furthermore, Brazil stands out for their bubbles!
The Brazilian wine style
So what characterizes a Brazilian glass of wine? Well, that would be the same as asking: what characterizes a French glass of wine? I talked about the character of Brazilian wine with several Brazilian winemakers and sommeliers, and nearly everybody mentioned that the wines are fruity, fresh and light, but with enough acidity to remain interesting and to provide some ageing potential. Also all mentioned the quality of the sparkling wines.
Brazil has an excellent climate to produce a broad variety of easy drinking and more complex sparkling wines. Bubbles for a beach day and class for New Year’s Eve.
During the COVID-pandemic, the number of litres of wine per person per year increased by 30% from 2.1 L/year to 2.8 L/year, and remains higher than it was before. For comparison, the liters per capita in Argentina is 19.5 L/year and France 46 L/year. Winemakers think people had more time to try other things during lockdowns and wanted to get a more luxury feeling at home. Although the interest in wine among Brazilians is growing, beer still remains the go to drink with 58 L per person per year.
Promising producers
For Rio Grande do Sul I was able to visit several wineries. Wineries of particular interest to me (and other wine writers and experts) include:
Vinícola Almaúnica
Familia Geisse
Luiz Argenta
Vinhos Viapiana
Família Bebber
Salton
Bigger producers with interesting high-end series are Casa Valduga and Miolo.
For Planalto Catarinense, other writers and experts, including Jancis Robinson, have recommended, among others: Villa Francioni, Hiragami, Pericó, Quinta de Neve, and Abreu Garcia.
Wine regions in detail
Below follows a short description of each of the most important wine regions, from north to south (Figure 4). For the exact regulations with regard to quality control (IG’s and DO’s) in all instances 100% of the grapes have to be grown and bottled within specific demarcated areas and maximum yields are set. In some cases specific grape varieties or wine types (still or sparkling) are defined. An extensive overview can be found here: Geographical Indications - Portal Embrapa
Vale do São Francisco
The vale do São Francisco is the most northern wine region of Brazil, and the wine region closest to the equator in the world (6 degrees latitude). For reference, it is on the same level as Jakarta (Indonesia). So how can vines grow here? The area is very stony and has a lot of sediments, and vines can only grow here due to constant irrigation from the São Francisco river. Besides wine and large amounts of table grapes, the region is exports large amounts of other tropical fruit, including mango. Due to this microclimate, the region can yield 2-3 grape harvests per year. Grapes from this region are mostly grenache, syrah, cabernet sauvignon and muscatel. The wines are characterized by being light and fruity. The region has 1 IG named after the valley: Vale do São Francisco, and has only recently been recognized as such (November 2022).
Planalto Catarinense
This wine region is situation in the province of Santa Catarina, a province that is well-known for its white sandy beaches and German & Italian influences. It is the highest wine of the south, both with regard to the geographical location as for the altitude. Vineyards lie between 900 and 1.425 meters of altitude. There are large temperature differences between day & night, an asset that is lacking for most other – more subtropical – winemaking regions in Brazil. The temperature differences aid a slower ripening and therefore a better maturation of the grapes, whilst preserving good acidity levels. Harvest here are nearly 1-2 months later than in the other wine growing regions. The soil type is mostly basalt and vulcanic rock. Broadly planted grape varieties are cabernet sauvignon, malbec, merlot, chardonnay, and moscatel. The region has potential to produce good pinot noir and sauvignon blanc. There are 2 IG’s:
IG Vales da Uva Goethe: still and sparkling wines made from the Goethe grape; a moscatel variety.
IG Vinhos de Altitude de Santa Catarina: wines made from grapes grown above 840 meters of altitude within the geographical area. This IG was initiated by a group of dedicated winemakers in the area.
Serra Gaúcha
Serra Gaúcha is the most famous and oldest recognized wine region of Brazil and is located in the province of Rio Grande do Sul. It is situated in the hills of Serra Gaúcha, where it is cloudy most of the days and rainfall is high. It is also referred to as ‘Little Italy’, since the Italian influences are very profound; the only difference being that the climate is sub-tropical and the vineyards are surrounded by tropical vegetation such as mango & banana trees. Serra Gaúcha is a humid area. Nevertheless, grapes can grow thanks to the regular cooling winds. The soil is rich of nutrients and consists mostly of basalt. There are more than 15.000 small producers, most of which make wine for own use or sell their grapes to other companies. Grape varieties are numerous, and include merlot, cabernet sauvignon, pinot noir, chardonnay, semillon, and sauvignon blanc. The area has the first DO: Vales dos Vinhedos and a recent second DO: Altos de Pinto Bandeira. There are also several geographical indications: Pinto Banderia, Altos Montes, Farroupilha, and Monte Belo.
Campanha
Campanha is a wine growing region in the far south of Brazil, bordering Uruguay, and is very hilly. The area has less rainfall than the other regions, resulting in fruity but more deep and intense reds and full bodied whites. Grapes grown here include cabernet sauvignon, tempranillo, touriga nacional, tannat, and for the white varieties sauvignon blanc, chardonnay, pinot gris and gewurztraminer. However, up to 36 cultivars are allowed within the regulations of the IG (Campanha Gaúcha). Soil types are mostly granite, limestone and sand, making the ground acidic. Therefore, in the wines you can also find mineral and fruity notes. A good part of the grapes are brought to Serra Gaúcha for further production, either to provide some strength to blends or as single variety wines.
Serra do Sudeste
This small wine region is located very close to Campanha, also on the border with Uruguay. The region is growing and flourishing due to investment from winemakers in Serra Gaúcha. The characteriscs of the region are quite similar to Campanha. Soil types include basalt, lime, and sand. Most planted grape varieties are cabernet franc and merlot, and for whites sauvignon blanc and Malvasia. To date, there is no IG for the region. Similar to Campanha, most of the grapes are transported to Serra Gaúcha for further production.
References & further reading tips
See related story below for my Brazil wine travel adventure.
https://www.winesbrazil.org/ (Official website for general information about Brazilian wine)
Geographical Indications - Portal Embrapa (Governmental Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation, for information about geographical indications, denominations of origin and regulations)
Vineyards in the EU - statistics - Statistics Explained (europa.eu) (Data on EU vineyards)
Experiências no mundo do vinho - Wine Locals (wine-locals.com) (Online wine guid and tour reservation system, used by most Brazilian wine regions).
Websites from the different wine making regions (when available):
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