Brazil is on the front page of every media these days. The Olympic Games does give a lot of attention. But it is rare that Brazilian wines are given much coverage. That is a pity.
Brazilian wine has come a long way since the first plantings were done in the Vale dos Vinhedos (The Valley of the Vineyards!) in 1875 by Italian immigrants. Today there is a small and thriving wine production in the far south of Brazil, on the border to Uruguay.
In total Brazil has some 80,000 hectares, which equals approximately two thirds the size of Bordeaux. Much of the wine is still vinho de mesa, but more and more are made by ambitions outward-looking wine producers. There is also a very important production of sparkling wine.
Read Britt’s article on the wines of Brazil and some of the best growers in her latest article on Forbes: Fine Wines From Brazil To Go With The Olympics.
Here’s the introduction:
As Brazil is getting a lot of attention right now it may be appropriate to point out that there are actually quite a lot of good wines in this big country. It is perhaps not the first country that comes to mind when you think of wines from South America. But Brazil is rapidly becoming known internationally as a serious wine country and exports have grown dramatically in recent years.
Brazil is a big country. There is tropical heat in the north but down in the south, on the border with Uruguay and at 600 meters (2000 ft) altitude, the climate is well suited to viticulture.
Read Britt’s full article on BKWine on Forbes.
This is the first part of two on the wines from Brazil. Read part two here: The best wine producers in Brazil are in Vale dos Vinhedos | Britt on Forbes.
