Brazilian Wine Regions

Welcome to bright and beautiful Brazil! Known for its flamboyant carnivals, bustling beaches and tropical rainforests, Brazil has a vibrancy and zest for life unlike anywhere else. Covering a massive 47% of South America, there are over 90,000 hectares of vineyards which are starting to make headway on the global scene. We’re always excited to see what’s to come from this country’s young, enthusiastic winemakers.

Viticulture was first introduced to Brazil back in 1532 when the Portuguese brought vines over and planted them in São Paulo. However, winemaking was a gradual development until the 1970s when global brands Moët & Chandon and Bacardi invested in wine companies across the country. Bringing with them knowledge, experience and huge amounts of cash, these investors helped catapult Brazil into the successful wine producing country emerging today.

Around 80% of all vines throughout Brazil are thick-skinned American vines (also known as Isabel vines). These tougher plants can handle the extremes in weather conditions, from the hot and humid climate of the tropical north, to the milder temperatures of the south where most of the major wineries can be found. Red wines dominate here, and are typically light due to the shallow soils and moisture from the humidity stopping grape flavours from becoming too intense. Deeper reds do exist, as do tasty whites and even decent sparkling – you heard it here first!

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Learn About the History, Grape Varieties, Climate and Wines of Each Brazilian Wine Region Below:

Campos de Cima da Serra
Planalto Catarinense
Vale do São Francisco
Serra Gaúcha
Serra do Sudeste
Campanha
Campos de Cima da Serra

An Introduction to Campos de Cima da Serra

Also known as the Brazilian Subtropical Highland Grasslands, Campos de Cima da Serra is a small paradise of tropical plants and species, and is one of Brazil’s newest wine regions. It’s known for producing elegant reds, aromatic whites and sparkling wines using grape varieties that we generally won’t have come across in the UK. This modest, up and coming region is full of winemakers quietly perfecting their craft, creating beautiful blends with local Brazilian varieties, and we’re certain it’s a region we’ll be hearing more about in years to come.

Climate and Geography

Campos de Cima da Serra sits on the border of Santa Catarina, and is an area of hilly inclines reaching altitudes of 1,100 metres. It experiences moderate temperatures and consistent winds across its sloping vineyards, enabling winemakers to grow healthy vines. The balance of temperature and cooling breezes allows for longer maturation, resulting in nicely intense grapes. The green, craggy landscape provides an ideal bed for viticulture, with water-retaining granite and clay soil that’s full of nutrients.

Red Varieties

Alvarelhão, Amaral, Borraçal, Espadeiro, Padeiro, Pedral, Rabo de Anho, Vinhão

White Varieties

Alvarinho, Arinto Avesso, Azal, Loureiro, Trajadura

Climate

Moderate

Landscape

Hilly

Soil

Granite, sand, schist, slate, clay

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Planalto Catarinense

An Introduction to Planalto Catarinense

Located in Santa Catarina, Planalto Catarinense is a new wine producing region sitting on a high-lying plateau. All the region’s vineyards can be found on this elevated plain, where bold and juicy reds thrive along with tropical fruit flavoured whites. The altitude of the vineyards means temperatures are cooler than you’d expect for a region of its latitude, enabling winemakers here to produce red, white and sparkling vino of impressive quality. The main environmental struggle for winemakers here is the lack of rainfall, but this doesn’t seem to stop them from producing beautiful wines.

Climate and Geography

Located in the far south of Brazil, Planalto Catarinense sits on a plateau where temperatures are generally cooler than at sea level, resulting in a temperate microclimate of cold winters and warm summers. The basalt in the soil contains essential micronutrients that help strengthen vines in the difficult dry conditions caused by the region’s proximity to the Equator. Calcium, iron and magnesium from the volcanic ash soil help increase root growth, enable plants to fight off diseases and allow complexity to develop in the grapes.

Red Varieties

Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Merlot, Pinot Noir

White Varieties

Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc

Climate

Temperate

Landscape

Plateau

Soil

Basalt

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Vale do São Francisco

An Introduction to Vale do São Francisco

Vale do São Francisco is the closest wine region to the equator in the world, only 9 degrees south of it in fact! When you consider that most of the world’s vineyards sit in temperate climate zones between 30 and 50 degrees either side the Equator, this record-breaking wine region appears to defy nature! On paper, Vale do São Francisco is a hot and dry, semi-arid area that just shouldn’t work for viticulture. The secret to winemaking here is that it’s entirely reliant on irrigation from the nearby São Francisco River. Thanks to this vital water source, locals have managed to turn this unlikely wine region into an area known for producing huge quantities of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Muscat. In fact, so much water is taken from the river to offset the heat that Vale do São Francisco is able to achieve two grape harvests a year.

Climate and Geography

Situated in the arid north of Brazil, Vale do São Francisco is hot with minimal annual rainfall. This lack of rain is what makes irrigation from the São Francisco River absolutely essential for healthy vine growth, and the majority of vineyards are dotted around the reservoir. Flavours may not be the boldest or punchiest from this region, but wines are fruity and easy drinking. Soil here is sedimentary and stony, which (just like the semi-arid weather conditions) isn’t ideal for plant growth. But these environmental challenges are overcome by determined winemakers using technology to overcome the odds!

Red Varieties

Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Grenache

White Varieties

Muscat

Climate

Semi-arrid, tropical

Landscape

Hilly

Soil

Stony, sedimentary

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Serra Gaúcha

An Introduction to Serra Gaúcha

Known as ‘little Italy’, Serra Gaúcha is a surprising oasis in the centre of an industrial area. Responsible for 80% of the entire country’s winemaking, this region is often considered to be the wine capital of Brazil. Serra Gaúcha is also home to Brazil’s first official wine appellation, Vale dos Vinhedos, which was established back in 2002. Some stunning sparkling wines are produced here, thanks to the tropical climate allowing for early harvests, although little of these make it outside of the region. The first grapes to be planted and really thrive here were Italian varieties Trebbiano and Barbera, although nowadays the dominant varieties are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay and Semillon.

Climate and Geography

Serra Gaúcha is an area of low mountain ranges and sloping vineyards. The mountainous valleys allow cooling breezes to flow through the vineyards, balancing out the heat that would normally stunt vine growth. Being close to Brazil’s south-eastern coast, Serra Gaúcha is very humid as a result of the sea air, which would encourage fungal diseases to attack the grapes if it wasn’t for the vital cooling winds that weave through the mountains. The volcanic basalt terrain means soil here is full of fantastic nutrients such as iron, magnesium and calcium, which combined create a landscape that produces strong vines that are more resistant to diseases.

Red Varieties

Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Tannat

White Varieties

Chardonnay, Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc

Climate

Tropical

Landscape

Mountainous

Soil

Basalt

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Serra do Sudeste

An Introduction to Serra do Sudeste

Serra do Sudeste is one of Brazil’s smallest wine regions. Investors from nearby Serra Gaúcha, the country’s biggest wine producing region, have recently given the area a much needed financial boost, allowing viticulture to really take off here – now producing enough grapes for 500,000 bottles of vino! Red grapes are dominant, and are generally used for fine wines. These tend to be Cabernet Franc and Merlot, while in terms of whites it’s Sauvignon Blanc and Malvasia. Until the area can stand on its own feet, grapes are transformed into wine in Serra Gaúcha, in the wineries of its investors.

Climate and Geography

Serra do Sudeste experiences warm summers and cool winters, often with spells of fog and frosts in the cooler months. Its mountainous terrain has altitudes of between 400 and 500 metres, and vineyards tend to be planted on slopes. The lime in the soil provides calcium and magnesium for strong, healthy vines, and also improves the plants ability to take in nutrients. Basalt can also been found in the soil, which is great for root growth and making vines more resistant to diseases.

Red Varieties

Cabernet Franc, Merlot

White Varieties

Sauvignon Blanc, Malvasia

Climate

Subtropical

Landscape

Mountainous

Soil

Basalt, lime, sand

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Campanha

An Introduction to Campanha

Campanha is the most southerly Brazilian wine region, and it’s been gaining traction over the last few years for its quality of wines. Thanks to its climate being far less humid than the tropical north, winemakers here are able to produce much deeper reds than in any other part of the country, as there is less moisture in the ground and air to dilute grape flavours and skin colour. Soft, fruity reds are typical of this region, along with some punchier Cabernet Sauvignons, while whites tend to be full bodied and often made from Chardonnay.

Climate and Geography

Located in the far south, Campanha is a hilly region with a surprisingly temperate climate considering it shares the same latitude as the Sahara Desert. It experiences long, sunny days, little rain, and cool evenings. Soil here is sandy with granite and limestone, creating a porous mixture that allows water to be absorbed quickly. Generally speaking, the ground in Campanha is quite acidic and has pretty poor fertility, forcing the vines to work hard to find the nutrients they need, resulting in fruitier, higher quality grapes.

Red Varieties

Cabernet Sauvignon, Tempranillo, Touriga Nacional, Tannat

White Varieties

Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Gewurztraminer

Climate

Temperate, moderate

Landscape

Hilly

Soil

Granite, limestone, soil

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