The Wines of Brazil

A wine producer the size of New Zealand, Austria and Greece, yet very few know about the wines of Brazil. This guide gives you the inside story of a region that has been making wine since the Portuguese arrived in the 16th century.

Brazil is the fifth largest country in the world, with 80,000 hectares of vines spanning a variety of soils and climates. It has been producing wine since the arrival of the Portuguese in the 16th century and today makes a range of wines: sweet, sparkling, easy-drinking and ageable. Although it produces similar volumes to countries such as New Zealand, Greece and Austria, its wines are not well known outside of South America.

The Wines of Brazil is therefore for wine explorers in search of diverse, off the beaten track wines. It begins by relating Brazil’s wine-making history, before moving on to explain current viticulture and wine making. The regions and their wine producers are profiled in detail, with a particular focus on those whose wines are sold outside the country.

Features a detailed history of alcohol production in Brazil, from indigenous peoples to the arrival of European settlers to the foundations of today’s wine business.

Explores Brazil’s differing varieties and wine growing methods across its broad range of terroirs, from the pioneering region of Serra Gaúcha in the south to the northern tropics of the São Francisco Valley.

Provides details on many of Brazil’s producers, including the author’s recommendations and information on visiting wineries. Author is a Brazilian national who has been a wine educator for more then two decades. Supported by color maps and photos.

Tufi Neder Meyer, a graduate of UFMG Medical School with a PhD in surgery, has studied wines since before college. He was a professor at University of Vale do Rio Verde (UninCor) from 1979 to 2019 and has also been a wine educator since the 1990s. He holds the WSET Level 5 Honours Diploma and is a WSET Certified Educator (up to Level 3), as well as a Formador Homologado del Vino de Jerez (Certified Educator on Sherry), CPE (Certified Port Educator) and French Wine Scholar instructor. He lives and works in Brazil’s south-east, teaching at The Wine School Brazil (WSET approved). He is a co-founder of the SOCAVI wine association and organizes and conducts tastings at wine events throughout Brazil.