Unlike many other wine-producing countries in South America, Brazil isn’t exactly known for a specific type of grape. Instead, they’re known for an entire category: sparkling wines.
We don’t necessarily think of wine when we think of Brazil but don’t sleep on this amazing country – especially the sparkling wines. Brazil is a country of gorgeous landscapes, fiery culture, and an intensity that could only belong to South America. The great news is their wines are no different.
A little history for you: Vineyards were planted in Brazil back in the 1500s but in a place that didn’t work well because of the aggressive heat. Then Italians showed up in the late 1800s and made some changes, planting in hillier zones with better soil and terroir. These days, Brazil is the fifth-largest wine producing country in the Southern Hemisphere.
Serra Gaúcha is the main region for wine production in Brazil that accounts for 80% of the country’s overall production. Within Serra Gaúcha are Vale dos Vinhedos and Pinto Bandeira, the two prominent bubbly-producing appellations in Brazil.
The wines in Brazil are definitely Italian in nature but they have their own spin. Sparkling wine here prominently features Chardonnay and is the “calling card” of Brazil’s wine production.
Cave Geisse is a popular producer in Brazil featuring their sparkling rosé, a favorite of the famous writer Jose Luis Borges. The Chilean winemaker of Cava Geisse, Mario Geisse, was hired to run the Brazilian offshoot of Moet & Chandon before starting his own line.
Casa Perini is a great example of a winery producing high-quality sparkling wine. They’ve got two sparkling Moscatos which are Italian-inspired plus the “Traditional Method” sparkling wines,
made of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
Most winemakers in Brazil produce their bubbly using the traditional method, which is the same as Champagne and Cava, two of the most popular sparkling wines in the world.
Production and exportation of sparkling wines from Brazil is exploding which means we should be seeing more of them in our American wine shops. Keep an eye out next time you make a trip to your local spot!
