Brazil beyond the cachaza
Believe it or not, Brazil produces wine at certain point that is the 4th wine producer of the American continent. Brazil is not known for the wine production and its cachaça is much more popular, however, the Brazilian viticulture has a long history that goes back to the arrival of Portuguese colonizers in the 16th century. According to OIV data, Brazil has a little more than 91,000 hectares of vineyards, although most of these vineyards provide the country with products derived from grapes such as juice, raisins or table grapes.
If we think about the climate of Brazil, perhaps, the first thing that comes to mind is its tropical climate or an endless jungle and even its paradisiac beaches and none of these conditions would make even possible the of the vine cultivation and much less a wine production. However the country is so big that there are microclimates for growing the vine, such is the case of the southern region of Brazil where weather conditions are more appropriate for viticulture even though, trust us in this, there is also the production of icewine, the location and altitude of the vineyards are combined to have a microclimate which fits well to elaborate this style of wine famous in Germany and Canada (countries that are not characterized for a tropical or hot weather).
Brazil's largest production region is Rio Grande do Sul, where winemaking dates back to the arrival of the Portuguese and increased with Italian migration. It is in this state where we can find the only Designation of Origin "Vale dos Vinhedos" that holds this category since 2011.
The most popular wine style is the sparkling wine. A large number of wineries are responsible for producing wines under several methods, although the traditional method is the most popular and it gets a certain point that in 1973 the important firm Moët & Chandon installed its subsidiary Chandon Brazil with all the "savoir faire" champenois.
The most planted grape is Chardonnay which serves as a base wine for wines that will become sparkling, regarding to the red varieties, Cabernet Sauvignon grape is the most widespread and has the best results followed by the Merlot and Pinot Noir which is widely used for the production of sparkling wines as well, both mixed with chardonnay and monovarietal in rosé or blanc de noirs. In addition, thanks to Italian migration, there is a huge presence of italian grapes such as Nebbiolo, Moscato di Canelli, Barbera or Sangiovese.
WINE REGIONS
Brazil has 6 well defined wine regions:
1.- Sao Francisco Valley:
A unique region in the world. Its subtropical climate and average annual temperatures ranging from 21.4 to 31 ° C allow 2 harvests per year. The most planted grape is Moscatel.
2.-Planalto Catarinense:
A region that is characterized by the altitude (900 -1400 masl) allowing an interesting development and production of sparkling wines or pasito type sweet and even icewine.
Rio Grande do Sul:
The region represents 85% of wine production in Brazil and within it are the following regions:
3.- Campos da Cima da Serra: An area with a wind and cold weather that hindered viticulture, thanks to the planting of hybrid grapes today has an important wine production.
4.- Campania: This zone borders the southwest with Uruguay and the west with Argentina. Campania is experiencing a revival of viticulture.
5.- Serra do Sudeste: The region has experienced an interesting growth since the 70's. Its much less extreme climate and its latitude (30 ° latitude south) within the wine strip have allowed the area to show its wine potential.
6.- Serra Gaúcha: Undoubtedly, the heart of Brazilian winemaking. Its landscapes recall the hills of Tuscany or Piedmont. The vast majority of the wineries are located in this area. It is the region that houses all the geographical indications related to the production of wine:
Denomination of Origin
- Vale dos Vinhedos: Recognized as a Geographical Indication in 2002 and as Denomination of Origin in 2011. They produce white wines from the chardonnay grape, Merlot grape and sparkling wines exclusively elaborated under the traditional method.
Geographical Indication
- Pinto Bandeira
- Altos Montes
- Monte Belo do Sul
- Farroupilha
Brazil is experiencing a great apogee in viticultural terms and we will surely be seeing more and more wines of extraordinary quality and new characters from this great country.
Source: Wines of Brazil, Vinhos de Campanha, Aprovale
