When someone in North America or Europe considers Brazil’s agriculture, what comes to mind is most likely coffee, cane sugar, soybeans, and exotic fruit—not grapes. Most people think of Brazil as tropical, a superficial, and incorrect, generalization. Brazil has made wine since 1551, and its wine industry has undergone a true revolution in the last 30 to 40 years. It boasts an immense variety of grapes, wine types, vine growing practices, and, of course, terroirs. No wonder: Brazil is huge, with 8.5 million square kilometers (3.25 million square miles). The fifth largest country in the world, it is located from north 5 degrees to south minus 33 degrees and from east minus 35 degrees to west minus 74 degrees. Spanning such a large latitude and longitude, it is only natural that there is big variety of climates, relief, and soils. Brazil was, in 2023, among the 14 largest wine producers in the world.
Yet our wines are virtually unknown outside the country. One good reason (besides low export volumes) is the lack of literature on Brazilian wines, especially in English. When I was invited by Rebecca Clare of Académie du Vin to write this book, I accepted the challenge immediately, despite the immensity of the task. The result, the first comprehensive book on Brazilian wines published in English, has filled a glaring gap.
Why learn about Brazilian wines? First and foremost, because they are varied, different, and full of personality. The country has, uniquely, three distinct types of viticulture (traditional, tropical, and double pruning/winter harvesting). There are hundreds of producers, from garagistes to large brands crafting millions of bottles each year. New ventures appear daily. Wines cover all quality categories and all types. Hundreds of grape varieties, some exclusive, are grown. Our sparklers are increasingly successful. For the wine explorer in search of new experiences, ne plus ultra.
Writing this work demanded innumerable hours of work, a lot of trips (some adventurous) through the vast country, and the tasting of hundreds of wines. No tedious undertaking: sitting among persons genuinely interested in this drink, talking endlessly about the subject, and tasting so many wines (alas, spitting nearly everything) are everlasting memories. We wine lovers know how closely this blessed dram is linked to emotion.
The readers have, therefore, much to explore and augment their expertise about this fascinating drink made in Brazil. As we toast here: Saúde!
—Tufi Neder Meyer
Brazil’s large size and variety of climates allow, perhaps uniquely in the world, three types of viticultural practice. Jorge Tonietto and coworkers divide Brazilian viticulture into three macroregions, each with its particular characteristics.
Here, practices are the same as those used in most wine regions worldwide. The vines are pruned once a year, and there is only one harvest. The usual physiology of the vine is followed. As a plant originally from, and most adapted to, cooler climates than the tropics, the vine has the well-known vegetative cycle of dormancy, budding, flowering, veraison, harvest, and leaf fall. Due to climatic conditions, achieving more than one production cycle per year is impossible. Still the largest (in terms of planted area and production volume), this type of viticulture is practiced in a macroregion with a mostly temperate, or humid subtropical, climate. Altitudes range from 50 to 1,400 meters. No irrigation is needed. Most Brazilian vines are managed in this way in Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina, Paraná, and some parts of São Paulo, Minas Gerais, and Espírito Santo.
When average temperatures are above 22 degrees Celsius, there is no true dormancy, and the vegetative growth continues throughout the year. It is possible to have more than one vegetative cycle in a single year. Since the 1970s, for table grapes, and the 1980s, for wine grapes, a system with two prunings and two (or even more) harvests a year has been practiced. Irrigation is fundamental not only for water needs but also for controlling the cycle. The producer can, for example, reduce water supply and use a phytoregulator, such as ethephon, to end a growth cycle and force the vines to lose their leaves. Otherwise, the combination of pruning, irrigation, and hydrogen cyanamide (to force bud break) will lead to a new cycle. Staggered parcels, control of irrigation, and pruning allow the production of grapes throughout the year. This can be very advantageous in commercial terms and permits a better use of winemaking facilities. A steady flow of grapes for processing is better than working with a huge load of grapes in traditional harvests (see graph). This very technological type of viticultural management is still in development. Fundamental to this are, for example, selecting the best-adapted varieties and rootstocks, precise irrigation, control of bud load, and selecting the best pruning techniques. Tropical viticulture is concentrated in Pernambuco and Bahia, in the São Francisco Valley. This macroregion has a tropical semiarid climate; altitudes range from 350 to 420 meters.
This recent development started in the early 2000s in Três Corações, south of Minas Gerais. Here, besides the usual pruning in August, known as formation pruning, there is another (in January or February) called production pruning—hence, double pruning (also known as inverted pruning). The first is severe, leaving single-bud spurs. A green harvest eliminates clusters in October or November. The production pruning is followed by hydrogen cyanamide application to break bud dormancy and avoid apical dominance. The grapes mature fully in the winter—hence, winter harvesting (June to August) and my proposed acronym DPWH (double pruning and winter harvesting).
There are two growth cycles and one harvest per year (there is no significant production in the “normal” cycle). Winter in Três Corações is dry and sunny, with warm days and cool to cold nights (high diurnal variation). This maintains acidity and promotes a good level of polyphenols and aroma precursors. The macroregion is very large, coinciding with the Brazilian Highlands, and the vineyards lie mostly at altitude (600 to 1,200 meters). The predominant climate is temperate (subtropical). Many Brazilian states have such areas: Minas Gerais, São Paulo, Bahia, Goiás, Rio de Janeiro, Espírito Santo, Mato Grosso, and the Federal District. The expansion of vineyards and wineries has been very fast and continues.
This unique trio of viticultural regimens has allowed Brazilian winemakers to extend their terroirs remarkably. The knowledge base and possible technologies have increased, placing the country and its viticultural researchers at the forefront of these developments. This benefits consumers, brings new options to wine lovers who appreciate new possibilities, and allows for a potential increase in Brazil’s exports.
Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária (Embrapa) is the prestigious Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation responsible for many advances in the country’s agriculture. Since 1977, Embrapa has developed a genetic improvement program (Uvas do Brasil, or Grapes of Brazil). This aims to develop grape varieties better adapted to Brazilian conditions to produce table grapes, juice, and wine. Until now, 20 new cultivars have been attained. Some desirable characteristics are high yield, diverse production cycles, and high resistance to vine diseases. Embrapa maintains the largest vine germplasm bank in Latin America, boasting 1,400 accessions. Besides the more commonplace Vitis vinifera and Vitis labrusca, Embrapa has a large series of wild tropical species and interspecific hybrids. This program is akin to the European trials to obtain fungus-resistant hybrids, or PIWI (an acronym for Pilzwiderstandsfähig). In a world beset with environmental concerns, good-quality varieties demanding fewer agrochemical inputs and offering higher yields are a noble pursuit. In Brazil and abroad, PIWI varieties with at least 85 percent of vinifera genes are considered vinifera cultivars.
The Embrapa varieties have grown significantly in the country. According to Anderson and Nelgen, the planted areas of the most important genuinely Brazilian varieties, in 2016, were: Moscato Embrapa (683 hectares), Violeta (636), Cora (570), Lorena (500), Niágara Red (469), and Carmem (328). The total vineyard area of all 15 such varieties planted was, in the same year, 3,596 hectares. Compared to 2010 (1,714 hectares), the growth is very significant.
Moscato Embrapa, or BRS UV10693, is a Vitis interspecific crossing with 75 percent Vitis vinifera, obtained in 1983. After years of evaluation by growers, wineries, enologists, and consumers, it was considered fit for making wine and launched in 1997. It has high vigor and yield, reaching up to 35 tons per hectare (using the latada system). It produces white wine that is aromatic (Muscat-like) and mostly medium dry with low acidity.
Lorena, or BRS UV12731, is a white crossing of Malvasia Bianca and Seyval, obtained in 1986 and officially launched in 2001. It is very productive: the yields can reach 25 to 30 tons per hectare. It is tolerant to powdery mildew, anthracnose, and gray rot and moderately tolerant to downy mildew. It is well adapted to vertical and horizontal training systems, although the first is preferred for quality. Compared to Moscato Branco, Lorena brings 35 percent more sugar and demands 40 percent fewer agrochemicals. It is aromatic and suitable for both still and sparkling wines. The agreeable, fruity wines can be reminiscent of other aromatic varieties, such as Gewürztraminer or Muscat, albeit less weighty. Properly vinified, their antioxidant content can be three times higher than in most other white wines. Embrapa has developed a process to achieve this, including a specially isolated and developed yeast and a maceration protocol. The wine has been dubbed Lorena Ativa. The variety is not limited to the southern states. It is already planted in the southeast (São Paulo, Minas Gerais, Espírito Santo) and northeast. This is indeed a true Brazilian original. Brazil had 503 hectares planted to Lorena in 2023.
BRS Bibiana is a white variety with 68.2 percent vinifera genetic material, the balance comprising several other Vitis species. It is moderately resistant to the mildews. Even in difficult, rainy vintages, it can attain 21 to 22 Brix. The wine’s aromas and flavors show Muscat-like components and some echoes of Sauvignon Blanc, albeit with a subtler personality with good acidity.
BRS Margot is a red variety, a crossing of Merlot and Villard Noir. Its genetic material is about 74 percent vinifera. The wine has no foxy aromas and flavors and is reminiscent of Merlot, with a medium level of acidity and tannins and a young, fruity style. Its commercial production is still incipient.
In parallel with Embrapa, Instituto Agronômico de Campinas (IAC) has developed its program of breeding new varieties with the same purposes. Two of its best results are IAC Ribas and IAC Máximo. IAC Ribas is a Syrah x Seibel 7053 crossing developed in the 1950s by Walter Ribas. It has taken a long time for IAC to study it, including experimental vineyards and vinifications, so it was launched only recently, in 2021. It is a white grape with a yield of 7 to 15 tons per hectare, depending on the rootstock and training system, as well as on the climate and type of viticulture. It has adapted well to DPWH: despite a lower yield, the quality of grapes is superior. It matures to 19 to 20 Brix with traditional viticulture and to 23.5 in DPWH, when its juice may have a pH as low as 3.12. The wines are very fresh and light, with aromas and flavors of tropical fruit. IAC Máximo is a Seibel 11342 x Syrah crossing bred by Santos Neto in 1946. It is considered by some to be the best red variety bred by IAC to craft wines.
Moscato Branco is not the grape known in Italy as Moscato Bianco or internationally as Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains. Research by Embrapa scientists has shown that Moscato Branco has a unique genetic profile when compared to more than 5,000 accessions from the Brazilian grape germplasm bank and the French grape germplasm collection. These included the aromatic grapes Moscato R2, Moscato Giallo, Muscat of Hamburg, Muscat of Alexandria, and Itália. Its DNA fingerprinting is also different from the Malvasia group. The studies indicated that Muscat of Alexandria and Almafra (a rare Portuguese grape) have probably participated in Moscato Branco’s pedigree. The French ampelographer Jean-Michel Boursiquot, who became famous after identifying Carmenère in Chile, has also been to Brazil. He endorsed Moscato Branco’s singularity. It is a likely candidate for becoming a uniquely Brazilian vinifera variety. It is, by far, the most planted Muscat-like cultivar in Rio Grande do Sul. The growers prize its early budding (which reduces the risk of spring frost damage), high yields, and good commercial acceptance. Research among specialized tasters showed that the most frequent descriptors of its sparkling wine are sweet aromas; fresh nontropical fruit; floral; fresh tropical fruit; and nuts/almonds. It retains a welcome acidity in Serra Gaúcha.
Edward Staniford Rogers created this hybrid cultivar in Salem, Massachusetts, in 1851. It is a crossing of Muscat of Hamburg and another hybrid, Carter. The grape was probably brought to Brazil in the 19th century. It is cultivated and vinified only in Santa Catarina state, where an IP is exclusively dedicated to it, albeit tiny. Here, there are two clones, Goethe Clássica (pink skin) and Goethe Primo (white), with the same genetics. Schuck and collaborators found that the Goethe grape from Santa Catarina has a DNA profile that does not match any other available in large grape genetic databases. This indicates that it is a unique variety instead of the original American crossing. However, this requires more research. Goethe generates a white wine without labrusca character, which is fresh, fruity, floral, and mineral. Skin contact (one to three days) is usual, imparting a higher content of flavors and polyphenols to the wine. Goethe is used to produce still and sparkling white and pink wines.
There has been some confusion about this grape, but Brazil can likely boast of being one of only two countries with it in the whole world. According to Robinson, Harding, and Vouillamoz’s Wine Grapes, the variety known in Italy as Peverella would be, in truth, Verdicchio (based on unpublished research by Grando and Vouillamoz). It refers specifically to a grape called Peverella cultivated in Trentino/Alto Adige. These authors state, moreover, that Brazilian Peverella would be identical to Verdicchio, according to a work developed by Brazilian and American researchers in 2009. This work, however, studied only genetic material obtained from a germplasm collection belonging to Embrapa Semiárido, Bahia, much of this from an unknown origin. Generalizing, then, that the genetic material from Peverella kept in this collection would represent this grape at a national level seems inadequate. Ian D’Agata, in his book Native Wine Grapes of Italy, had already expressed doubts about this. A very recent work by Cisilotto and coworkers, published in the scientific journal Vitis in 2023, points to another direction. The researchers collected plant material from vines grown by two producers at Serra Gaúcha. Genetic studies revealed that this Peverella was, in fact, the obscure Italian grape Boschera, which grows in Veneto, not Trentino, and the planted area is minute.
The present scarcity of Peverella plantings contrasts with its abundance during part of the last century. The grape was introduced by João Dreher at the start of the 20th century, becoming the main white vinifera grape at Serra Gaúcha until the early 1970s. The market preference for international varieties and irregular yields explain its decline. A few producers, fortunately, have not eliminated it. An opportunity exists to take advantage of this scarcity and promote a very unusual wine. This is indeed a Brazilian specialty. Although a few Italian producers from DOCG Colli di Conegliano use the variety, it is only part of a blend. Vinified without skin contact at low temperatures and in protected conditions, the product is a delicate, fresh, piquant wine with hints of white flowers, and aromas and flavors of melon, pear and a touch of spice, and honey. It takes well to a short time in oak.
This excerpt first appeared in The Wines of Brazil, written by Tufi Neder Meyer and published by Académie du Vin Library in May 2025. It has been minimally edited for style, length, and audience. Used with permission.
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It is a real pleasure to make my book better known through GuildSomm. I hope that readers may gain knowledge about our country and our wines, which deserve attention. Saúde!