BRAZIL

Brazil is the third producer in South America, after Chile and Argentina. Wine production was introduced by the Portuguese settlers in the middle of the XVIth century South of Sao Paulo. In the 1870’s, the massive arrival of Italian settlers resulted in new developments. In modern days, it is in the 1970s that wine production started really booming, with the arrival of multinational companies. The Brazilian wines show real qualitative progress, supported by national demand and the economic dynamism of this South American “giant”. The production of good sparkling wines ( Charmat and traditional methods) are a specialty of this promising country.

Surface : 91 000 ha

Production : 2,9 Mhl

Consumption : 3,4 Mhl

Terroir :

Soils : basalt, lime, sand (Serra do Sudeste), clay (Serra Gaúcha). Mountaineous as high as 1400m in Planalto Catarinense Mountaineous as high as 1400m in Planalto Catarinense
Climate: moderate, with cold winters and very hot summers in the South East end of the country
Main red wine varieties : cabernet-sauvignon, merlot, tannat, and Portuguese varieties
Main white grape varieties : chardonnay, riesling, malvasia, muscat

Main wine regions

Serra Gaúcha (Vale dos Vinhedos, PintoBandeira,Monte Belo do Sul, Altos Montes) : 40% of the production
Vale do São Francisco
Planalto Catarinense (São Joaquim, Campos Novos, Caçador)
Campos de Cima da Serra
Serra do Sudeste
Campanha

Legislation

As early as 1988, Brazil adopted legislation on indications of origin (GI).

Sites :

BRAZIL

Wine-discovery tour sponsored by F.I.C.B.in Italy (Piedmont)