Best Brazilian Wines: Prices and Food Pairings

Brazil’s winemaking origins date back about 150 years. While the country is more well known for its gorgeous sandy beaches, its wine industry is growing. There are various wines to choose from in Brazil. Depending upon which region you go to, they specialize in different wines.

The best Brazilian wines tend to hail from the region of Serra Gaucha. However, the other regions have also developed wines that can compete generously.

The origins of Brazilian wine go back to the first Italian immigrants coming in and making wine. Brazilian wines tend to focus more on fruit than any other notes. Read this article and discover the best Brazilian wines.

Top Ten Wines in Brazil

Brazilian wine tends to be more refreshing than many other types of wines in different countries. Sparkling wine is the most prevalent type of wine in Brazil. However, there are some exceptions to the rule. Below are some of the best, most exceptional wines in Brazil.

Casa Valduga Gran Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon

This wine is red, bold, and structured. It has ripe tannins that provide a full-bodied wine that is both strong and soft. The food it pairs well with includes:

  • Pasta with spicy sauces
  • Ripe Cheeses
  • Game Meat

It has aromatic notes of vanilla, coffee, and chocolate, which were procured during maturation for twelve months in French oak barrels. The wine is a clear and vivid cherry color. This Cabernet Sauvignon comes from Vale dos Vinhedos Brazil.

Terroir Nature Geiss Cave Geiss Brut 2016

A Brazilian boutique producer created this wine. The grapes were grown in the volcanic soil close to the Serra Gaucha mountains. This blend is Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. It has the aromas of pear and citrus. Geiss Cave Geiss Brut pairs particularly well with certain cheeses. These include:

  • Brie
  • Camembert
  • Goat Cheese

Geiss Cave Geiss makes quality sparkling wines, mostly is made from the juice of black-skinned grapes. The only two red grapes that are used in Champagne are Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier.

Nature Don Giovanni

This wine is a Chardonnay-dominant blend of wine in the middle range of their wines. It is aged 24 months, resulting in a bright and tropical blend with interesting, toasted notes. Some of the foods that pair nicely with this wine include:

  • Blue Cheese Stuffed Olives
  • Broiled Garlic Clams
  • Seared Scallops
  • Grilled Shrimp Skewers

This wine is fresh and sparkling. Brazil is known for its fabulous sparkling wines.

RSV Blush Casa Valduga

This sparkling wine comes from a large family winery called Casa Valduga. It is a half and half Pinot Noir and Chardonnay blend. It is complex, as it contains notes of dried fruit and almonds. A couple of foods that pair perfectly with this blend include:

  • Shrimp Asparagus Stir Fry
  • Beef Dumplings

Casa Valduga knows how to make a bottle of quality sparkling wine. This family-run winery plays a significant role in Brazil’s finest wines.

Liddio Carraro Grande Vindima Merlot

This wine has the aromas of intense ripe fruit, spices, and cocoa. It is full-bodied and consistent. Some of the food that pairs well with this wine include:

  • Venison
  • Barbecue
  • Pasta
  • Risottos
  • Spicy Sauces
  • Aged Cheeses

The ripe tannins are bold and balanced. This particular wine also has a touch of mint.

Guaspari Vale de Pedra Red

This wine comes from the highlands of Sao Paulo, and it is matured for nine months in French oak barrels. The grapes come from vineyards that sit 900 to 1200 meters altitude on granite soils. An excellent meal that would pair well with this medium-bodied wine include:

  • Baked Rigatoni with Broccoli
  • Cider Brined Pork Tenderloins with Roasted Apples

This wine is a delicate and hearty Syrah. It is savory-sweet and complex. It has a magnificent ruby red color, and it contains the aromas of fruits, spices, and coffee.

Dom Maria Brazilian Sparkling Rose

This wine is an exquisite blush pink color. It is refreshing and dry. A few of the foods that pair well with it include:

  • Salmon
  • Chicken
  • Tomato-Feta Pasta Salad

This rose is clear and sparkling. It contains notes of berry and peach. This delightful light wine makes for the perfect wine to drink late afternoon in the summer. 

DNA99, Merlot Pizzato

Many great Merlot wines come from Vale dos Vinhedos. This is Flavio Pizzato’s top merlot. Pairing this wine with the following foods will make your palate happy.

  • Lamb
  • Blue Cheese or Gorgonzola
  • Pasta with Tomato Sauce
  • Turkey
  • Steak

Pizzato is known for good vintage wine. This particular wine contains notes of dark ripe fruit and spices. If you go to Brazil, you must try it with a delectable Brazilian feijoada.

Quorum Lidio Carraro

This wine is a Vale dos Vinhedos blend from the boutique family winery, Liddio Carraro. It is a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvingnon, Cabernet Franc and Tannat. A couple of the foods that pair well with this wine include:

  • Fresh Lasagna with Pesto
  • Chicken Casserole with Ham and Peppers

The emphasis on Quorum Liddio Carraro is on the grapes and not the oak. It is a fine wine with delicious fruit and spice.

Brazil Intenso Brut Salton

This vintage is a fruity, fresh, and bubbly wine. It comes from Salton, which is the oldest winery in Brazil. Some cheeses that pair well with this vino include:

  • Blue Cheese
  • Aged Gouda
  • Feta

This wine is a blend of Chardonnay, Prosecco, and Trebbiano grapes. It is a lovely, bright, sparkling wine that you can enjoy in the Brazilian outdoors.

Fun Facts About Brazilian Wines

Even though Brazil is not known for its fine wine, Brazil has been quietly creating unique and delicious wines for about 30 years. It is only now that they are receiving the attention and recognition they deserve for their wine. Below are some interesting facts about Brazil and its wine:

  • Brazil has about 215,000 acres specifically for wine grapes. It spans over 2,500 miles. It includes seven states and six different climate zones
  • Most of the country’s plantings are in Rio Grande Do Sul, which is Brazil’s Southernmost state
  • Brazil is the third-largest creator of wine in South America
  • The average rainfall in Brazil is 1,800 MM. Seventy inches, of which 700MM falls during the growing season from September to February.
  • With a large number of Lambrusco vineyards, 50 percent of the harvest in Brazil is used for grape juice production, which is made with no added sugars
  • In the 1880s, Northern Italian immigrants came to a cooler part of Brazil in the Serra Gaucha region, and Vitis vinifera grapes were planted to make excellent wine
  • Because of the cool climate, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes prosper and create delicious sparkling wines
  • Sparkling wines make up about 80 percent of the Brazilian wine market
  • Brazilians love their sweet dessert wines, as they are made from the Moscato grape
  • There are a plethora of Italian grapes that produce Brazilian red wine, such as Terodego and Ancellotta
  • Brazilian wine notes do not emphasize oak. Instead, they highlight the fruity notes.
  • Brazilian wines are higher acidity and are lower in alcohol, much like Northern Italian wines

While Brazil is best known for their luxurious beaches, they are also among the top 15 wine producers worldwide. In Brazil, people drink wine to celebrate, not necessarily to get drunk.

Best Brazil’s Wine Regions

Brazil is situated on the equator, although the climates of each region differ from one another. Before Brazil’s massive undertaking, it was thought that viticulture could not survive in hotter climates.

However, winemaking has been fruitful in both tropical rainforests and temperate climates.  Below are the major wine regions in Brazil and an overview of each one.

Vale do Sao Francisco

This area is a river valley in the state of Bahia in eastern Brazil. It is only 1000 kilometers south of the equator and 1500 miles north of Brazil’s main Winelands in Rio do Sul. The area is arid with little to no rainfall. On average, it rains here only 24 inches per year.

The “wine belt” is a band of latitudes that have an impact on viniculture. The wine belt encompasses the globe between 30 degrees South and 45 degrees South. While this is an unconventional place to make wine, the vines there depend on irrigation from the Sao- Francisco river.

 They are also reliant on output cycles, which are dependent on the influence of the inhibitors of the land rather than natural sources. This tropical environment does not produce grapes that are the making of fine wine. However, the environment does produce a plethora of grapes.

Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon comprise the grapes that produce red wines, and Muscat produces sparkling wines. See the table below with a few of the best wines in this region of Brazil:

WINETYPE OF GRAPEWHERE TO BUYCOST
Rio Sol Syrah, Vale do Sao Francisco, BrazilSyrahWine-Searcher$5.00
Almaden Espumante Moscatel Rose, Vale do Sao Francisco, BrazilMuscatWine-Searcher$4.30
Adega do Vale Cabernet Sauvignon Seco, Vale do Sao Francisco, BrazilCabernet SauvignonWine-Searcher$4.00
Miolo Imperial 15-Year-Old Brandy, Vale do Sao Francisco, BrazilBrandyWine-Searcher$23.60
Terranova Dry Moscatel, Vale do Sao Francisco, BrazilMuscatWine-Searcher$7.00

If you are ever in the Vale do Sao part of Brazil, you should seek out these wines. You can enjoy them in the beautiful Brazilian sunshine.

Planalto Catarinense

Almost all of Santa Catarina’s vineries are planted on the high-altitude plateau of the Santa Caterina mountain range. The area is well recognized for its apple orchards and vineyards. The daily temperature range that results from being at this altitude helps make grapes that produce quality wine.

Another advantage in this area is that the climate allows for berry maturation and sugar accumulation at a slower pace. The most prevalent and essential wines in the Planalto Catarinese include Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Chardonnay.

Temperatures and drier weather during the harvest time of year are ideal for winemaking. Growers must find free-draining soils, which are primarily obtained from basalt and volcanic rock. Sparkling wines are a passion for avid growers.

There are many wine shops and expeditions throughout the area.  

Altos Montes

The high altitude of this region and mild temperatures allow for vineyards to flourish throughout the grape growing season. The vines have a more extended maturation period. The result is grapes that have ideal levels of acid and lower amounts of sugar. 

The lowest vineyards of Altos Montes are at 550m above sea level, where the thermal altitude is at the right level. The soil is deep, high in acidity, and well-drained.  The primary types of wine in this area include red, rose, and white.

The sparkling wines of the region are created from Moscatel and Chardonnay grapes. The wine is consistent and balanced. Altes Montes is located in Serra Gaucha.

Serra Gaucha

Serra Gaucha is the mountainous region in the northeastern Rio Grande do Sul state in southern Brazil. It rests between where Brazil meets Uraguay. The landscape includes low mountain ranges. Serra Gaucha is considered the wine capital region of Brazil.

Eighty percent of the entire country’s wine is produced here. The local culture is influenced by the immigrant populations from Germany and Italy. The altitude contributes to viticulture in the area, as cooler temperatures allow for a longer growing season and higher acid retention.

The soil type of the area is also correlated with the altitude. You can observe the Viticulture planted in areas of volcanic basalt that have an abundance of nutrients. Below is a chart with different wines available in the Serra Gaucha region.

WINETYPE of GRAPEWHERE TO BUYCOST
Don Guerino Reserva Tannat, Serra Gaucha, BrazilTannatWine-Searcher$12.30
Miolo Lote 43, Vale dos Vinhedos, BrazilCabernet Savignon-Merlot BlendWine-Searcher$21.33
Casa Valduga 130 Blanc de Blanc Brut, Vale dos Vinhedos, BrazilChardonnayWine-Searcher$29.40
Pizzato Reserva Merlot, Vale dos Vinhedos, BrazilMerlotWine-Searcher$15.22
Vinicola Garibaldi Prosecco Brut, Serra Gaucha, BrazilGlera (Prosecco)Wine-Searcher$5.00

If you are ever in Serra Gaucha, you should pick up one of these bottles of wine and enjoy yourself.

Serra do Sudeste

Due to soil and climate attributes, the production of wines is high in quality, and the grapes are plentiful. The southeastern area of Rio Grande do Sul State is located in southernmost Brazil near Uraguay.

The climate of the region is subtropical and as close to oceanic as it gets. Rainfall is also reasonably prevalent throughout the year and is equally distributed. The average temperature of the region is between 60 and 64 degrees.

The hottest month is January, where the month’s average temperature is about 69 degrees. The coldest month is July, which has an average of about 51 degrees. The climate and the soil allow for the growth and development of viticulture.

Campanha

Campanha Gaucha has become the 7th IG designation in Brazil. It has 17 local wineries. IG status is only awarded to those regions, showing a solid differentiation in geography, climate, and human influence compared to other zones.

Campanha, located within the state of Rio Grande do Sul, borders both Argentina, and Uraguay. It is renowned for its cattle and sheep farming and rice production.

Once it was given the stamp of approval by government agriculturists, commercial vineyards were planted in the region. The region offers a wide array of sparkling, red, and white wines. Below is a chart with different wines you can get in the Campanha region in Brazil. 

WINETYPE OF GRAPEWHERE TO BUYCOST
Miolo Single Vineyard Touriga Nacional, Campanha Meridional, BrazilTouriga NationalWine-Seeker$9.78
Wine Label of Casa Valduga Terroir Cabernet Franc, Campanha, Brazil  Cabernet FrancWine-Seeker$14.06
Miolo Reserva Pinot Grigio, Campanha Gaucha, BrazilPinot GrigioWine-Seeker$8.20
Salton Intenso Pinot Noir, Campanha, BrazilPinot NoirWine-Seeker$5.86  
Miolo Single Vineyard Johannisberg Riesling, Campanha Central, BrazilRieslingWine-Seeker$9.96

If you are ever in the Campanha region of Brazil, pick up a bottle of one of these wines and have a great vacation.

Conclusion

The different wines featured in this article can be found in various wine regions of Brazil. They have proven themselves to be some of the most popular wines available in Brazil. The climate in each region encourages the creation of these delectable wines.

When and if you visit Brazil, you should make it a point to taste their impeccable selection.

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