Rio Grande do Sul is Brazil's most prolific wine-producing state. It is located in the very South of the country along the Uruguayan and Argentinian borders.
The wine regions of Serra Gaucha, Campanha and Vale do Vinhedos can be found in this Part of the country. Soft, light red wines from a range of varieties such as Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon and Tannat are made here.
Rich white wines from Chardonnay and Viognier are also produced. However, it is the fresh, FruitySparkling wines made here in the Italian spumante style that have captured the most attention.
Today, Rio Grande do Sul is responsible for around 90 percent of Brazilian wine production, although only a small amount of this is quality wine made from Vitis vinifera grape varieties. Vitis labrusca and Hybrid grape varieties such as Isabella and Concord are better suited to the terroir here and still make up the majority of plantings.
The state lies some 650 kilometers (400 miles) southwest of the city of Sao Paulo and 300km (200 miles) North of the Uruguayan capital of Montevideo. Rio Grande do Sul (which means "great river of the south") is essentially a continuation of the pampas of Argentina and Uruguay.
These are fertile lowlands that consist mainly of low, rolling hills and plains. In the more northern part of the state, the landscapes rise into low mountain ranges that extend northward into the bordering state, Santa Catarina.
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.
red wines from the region of Rio Grande do Sul go well with generally quite well with dishes of beef, lamb or poultry such as recipes of beef mironton, lamb tagine with preserved lemons and onion compote with... or quiche with bacon and gruyère cheese.
On the nose in the region of Rio Grande do Sul often reveals types of flavors of cherry, oaky or blackberry and sometimes also flavors of vanilla, plum or pepper. In the mouth in the region of Rio Grande do Sul is a powerful with a nice balance between acidity and tannins.
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