Winegrowing Regions

The Serra Gaúcha region is located in the agri-ecological region of the north-eastern highlands in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, at 29° Southern Latitude.

It is about a 1.5 hour drive to the north east from Porto Alegre, and it is the home of 90% of all Brazilian wineries and producers of fine wines.

It is a mountainous region with the characteristic river of Rio das Antas. The region lies between the altitudes of 400 and 800 m above sea level. Wine growing is concentrated between the altitudes of 400 and 600 m. The climate is mild, subtropical and damp. Summers are mild and damp. The region consists of areas that are the property of small winegrowers. Every grower cultivates two hectares of vineyards on average. However, the region is among the most important ones in the country.

The small and flourishing town of Bento Gonçalves is the winemaking capital of the region, while the neighbouring town of Garibaldi focuses on sparkling wines. Serra Gaúcha, or rather the wide valley of Vale del Rio dos Antas with its steep slopes in the south-east, is divided into five winegrowing areas according to topography and the rich cultural heritage developed during more than a hundred years of Venetian colonization. Vale dos Vinhedos, as the only one of the five regions, received the Geographical Indication of Origin certificate a year ago.

Besides Serra Gaúcha there are three other wine regions where the production of fine wines becomes more and more important. In the far north, at 9° Southern Latitude, in the large and arid São Francisco River Valley artificial irrigation is used to bring about the wine season. The use of Moscatel, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and other varieties is increasing. Some producers transport the grapes in refrigerated trucks to their winemaking factories in Serra Gaúcha, others have built factories on location.

Serra Gaúcha is one of the richest regions in South America, not only as regards the life standard or the economy but also food and farming traditions. Italian immigrants have contributed more than grapevine, wine and grappa; they have also introduced culinary culture grounded in hard agricultural work on the fertile land. We can find a wide range of high quality cheese, with an obvious reminiscence of Italian smoked cheese. Salami is produced all over the region. Fruit is also important, and almost every household makes their own sweets, jam and marmalade. Corn and black beans, the main Brazilian crops, are grown in the region of Serra Gaúcha, and no table can lack polenta. Sugar cane is grown in lower, damper locations and is used to distil cachaca and cane vodka. Most good restaurants (of which there are more than a dozen in Bento Gonçalves and Caixas do Sul) offer the delicious traditional meal rodizio, based on meat, pasta and pizza. Fish in Serra Gaúcha is frozen - conger, trout or carp from fish farms. You will not find much bread on the tables of the locals; it is replaced with fried polenta and rice. Vegetables are always fresh and tasty. There are poultry farms around Bento Gonçalves and chicken is eaten daily, usually roasted. The main roads are lined with fruit stalls, which offer fresh seasonal fruit, such as grapes, plums, peaches and melons and sometimes even honey, cheese and handmade products.

Vale dos Vinhedos begins at the western border of Bento Gonçalves and ends at the Rio dos Antas river. It has an area of 20,000 acres and stretches to the neighbouring towns of Garibaldi and Monte Belo do Sul. There are 2,100 hectares of vineyards and 1,700 hectares planted with other crops at the altitude of 500-700 m. The rolling landscape reminds of the mountainous regions in Italy. Half a dozen streams flow through the valley, which is 12 km long. The valley is surrounded by hills from three sides. They are 700 m high and descend as low as 200 m. The 500 m altitude difference, together with the difference in the intensity of sunshine on the northern and southern slopes, creates many microclimates. The common average precipitation depth is 1800 mm but in some years it is 2200 mm or more during the year. Every 5 to 10 years there is drought, which is ideal for wine. It does not snow in winter but it can be relatively cold, possibly with frost. However, hailstorms occurring during summer represent a more serious danger.

The typical local tree is the pine or the araucaria, which has unfortunately been almost wiped out of Vale dos Vinhedos. The bushes and trees are now protected so it is difficult to find suitable land for the expansion of vineyards.

Vineyards are located in the middle of medium steep slopes climbing from 450 m up to 650 m of altitude. The vineyards are not irrigated and the vine grows in dependence on rainfalls. Although the vineyards are located on mild slopes, the conditions are very similar to wine growing in mountainous regions.

Vale dos Vinhedos is the first Brazilian region to receive the Geographic Origin certification that was established in 2001.

This project was founded in a place called Fazenda Ouro Verde in the Casa Nova region, state of Bahia - a tropical macro-region in the north-east of Brazil. It is one of the new Brazilian wine regions that produce fine wines and it is located on the medium course of the São Francisco river. The region is characterized by the altitude of about 350 m and its bushy landscape of north-east savannahs and vineyards in the flat land. The vineyards are located between 9° and 10° Southern Latitude, which is the lowest in the context of the world's viticulture.

The project is planning to cultivate 400 hectares of land before 2012. Because of the tropical semiarid climate with a high number of sunny days and a low volume of rainfalls, the vineyards are irrigated with emulsified water, which is the system similar to the one used in other regions in the world.

The vineyards that existed in Fazenda Ouro Verde more than 20 years ago were completely restored and expanded. Their capacity is now 1.5 million litres annually and the production is to be increased to 4 million litres annually before 2012.

The wines produced in Vale do São Francisco are connected with the local culture, the islands in the region, exotic fruit and also with local folklore, the sun and the beauties of north-eastern Brazil. All of these elements join to create the products typical of this region.

The project is located at a place called Estãncia Fortaleza do Seival in the Candiota region in the south of Brazil, near the border with Uruguay. Although the region has traditionally been associated with horse, sheep and cattle breeding, it has become one of the new wine regions of Brazil that produce fine wines.

Its typical altitude is about 300 m above sea level and the vine grows on moderate slopes.

The region has a mild, not very damp climate with relatively warm and dry summers, in contrast to the standard climate of the state of Rio Grande do Sul, which makes it different from other winegrowing regions in Brazil.

The project is expecting 400 hectares of land to be used for planting before 2012. French and Portuguese varieties are planted in the vineyards that are located at 31° Southern Latitude. The vineyards are not irrigated and the vine develops in dependence on rainfalls.

Campos de Cima da Serra in the state of Rio Grande do Sul is one of the coldest and highest places where grapes are produced in Brazil. It is located at the altitude of more than 1000 m.

The Miolo winery joined Raul Anselmo Randon to create RAR wine production. The grapes for this wine are grown in Randon's vineyards in the Muitos Capões region under technical supervision of the Miolo winery.