Brazil
Brazil
Brazil is the third most important wine producer in South America. Modern viticulture is centred in Rio Grande do Sul, mainly in the high, hilly Serra Gaúcha region near Uruguay. Serra Gaúcha, the wine capital of Brazil, produces 80% of the country's wine.
The region features low mountain ranges ‘serras’ (300m to 850m) and is populated by gaúchos, the cowboys of the Brazilian Pampas. The altitude and topography provide cool temperatures for a longer growing season and higher acid retention.
Colonised by Italian settlers since 1875, Serra Gaúcha has a 150-year wine-making history. The soil is primarily clay over basalt, with viticulture in nutrient-rich volcanic basalt pockets. The climate is humid, with an average annual rainfall of 1,700mm.
