Top 100 red wines of Bahia
Discover the top 100 best red wines of Bahia as well as the best winemakers in the region. Explore the varietals of the red wines that are popular of Bahia and the best vintages to taste in this region.
Discovering the wine region of Bahia
Bahia is one of Brazil's 26 states, located in the middle of the vast country's east (Atlantic) coast. Despite its proximity to the Equator, Bahia is home to wine producing Grapevines. These are almost exclusively located in the Vale do São Francisco, one of the world's most extreme wine regions.
However Bahia's agricultural economy is focused much more heavily on cacao (of which it is Brazil's main producer) and soybeans.
Bahia's economy was founded on sugar and tobacco production between the 16th and 18th Centuries.
The region measures about 1000 kilometers (600 miles) from North to South, and about the same from east to west. It stretches between the latitudes of 8°S and 18°S.
The Climate throughout Bahia is tropical.
Annual rainfall averages vary massively from region to region, from 15 inches to 80 inches (380mm to 2000mm) a year. The drier areas are, naturally enough, those further inland, away from the maritime influences of the coast. Roughly two thirds of Bahia is classified as semi arid.
The Vale do São Francisco (the state's sole wine region) is located 440km (275 miles) inland and ranks among the world's driest grape growing areas.
Discover the grape variety: Cabernet franc
Cabernet Franc is one of the oldest red grape varieties in Bordeaux. The Libourne region is its terroir where it develops best. The terroirs of Saint-Emilion and Fronsac allow it to mature and develop its best range of aromas. It is also the majority in many blends. The very famous Château Cheval Blanc, for example, uses 60% Cabernet Franc. The wines produced with Cabernet Franc are medium in colour with fine tannins and subtle aromas of small red fruits and spices. When blended with Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, it brings complexity and a bouquet of aromas to the wine. It produces fruity wines that can be drunk quite quickly, but whose great vintages can be kept for a long time. It is an earlier grape variety than Cabernet Sauvignon, which means that it is planted as far north as the Loire Valley. In Anjou, it is also used to make sweet rosé wines. Cabernet Franc is now used in some twenty countries in Europe and throughout the world.
