Top 100 red wines of Brazil
Discover the top 100 best red wines of Brazil as well as the best winemakers in the region. Explore the varietals of the red wines that are popular of Brazil and the best vintages to taste in this region.
Discovering the wine region of Brazil
With about 83,000 hectares of Vineyard">Vineyards, it ranks just behind its close neighbours, Argentina and Chile, in terms of cultivated area. Only a small portion (about 10%) of these hectares are planted with Vitis vinifera vines, but this large area does not translate into large volumes of quality wine.
Concerted efforts are underway to improve this ratio. Although not yet recognized internationally, the quality of Brazilian wines is increasing year by year.
The best known Brazilian wines are probably the Sparkling white wines. There are a few wines made in the méthode champenoise from Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Many are made in a style similar to Italian spumante.
Although it spans 39 degrees of latitude (5°N to 34°S), this vast country Lies largely outside the "wine belt" (the band of latitude where effective viticulture is traditionally thought possible).
The Southern hemisphere wine belt encircles the globe between 30°S and 45°S, leaving very little room for Brazil to develop its wine growing area.
Thus, the vast majority of Brazilian wine comes from the southernmost regions of Brazil, the Campanha and in particular the Serra Gaucha. The latter is home to the capital of Brazilian sparkling wine, Bento Gonçalves.
Further North, the state of Bahia is home to the arid and flat Vale do São Francisco.
Discover the grape variety: Pinot noir
Pinot noir is an important red grape variety in Burgundy and Champagne, and its reputation is well known! Great wines such as the Domaine de la Romanée Conti elaborate their wines from this famous grape variety, and make it a great variety. When properly vinified, pinot noit produces red wines of great finesse, with a wide range of aromas depending on its advancement (fruit, undergrowth, leather). it is also the only red grape variety authorized in Alsace. Pinot Noir is not easily cultivated beyond our borders, although it has enjoyed some success in Oregon, the United States, Australia and New Zealand.
Food and wine pairing with a red wine of Brazil
red wines from the region of Brazil go well with generally quite well with dishes of beef, game (deer, venison) or lamb such as recipes of oxtail with seed sauce, duck sleeves in cider or uzbek pilaf.
News from the vineyard of Brazil
In recent years, more and more people have been paying attention to Uruguay’s wine scene thanks to the distinctive identity of its coastal regions, which are swept by winds from the Atlantic Ocean and the Río de la Plata. The country’s proximity to the ocean and one of the largest rivers on the planet means that the vintage effect is quite prominent here. Each harvest depends on the rainfall, sun and strength of the winds experienced that year. Today, Uruguay has around 5,966ha under vine distri ...
Amanda Barnes wins Fortnum & Mason award for The South America Wine Guide
Decanter contributor and Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA) judge Amanda Barnes has been awarded the Debut Drink Book award in the Fortnum & Mason Food and Drink Awards 2022 for her The South America Wine Guide book. The annual Fortnum & Mason Food and Drink Awards, now in its 10th year, champions the achievements of the UK’s current and emerging writers, editors, publishers, photographers, broadcasters and personalities who ‘encourage us to enjoy, explore, experiment and discover more ab ...
Colombia for wine lovers
Think of Colombia, think of balmy evenings dancing to salsa, fuelled by shots of aguardiente and arepas. But there’s plenty more than the anise-based spirit and cornmeal cakes to sample in the South American country. Chefs have stepped up their game to put gastronomy on the map, with sommeliers and bartenders following suit. Not just appreciating local ingredients and distilling spirits, they also seek out wines from around the world to accompany fine-dining experiences. Their endeavours have pa ...