Brazil is not the first country most people associate with wine. Much of the largest country in South America has a tropical climate that is too hot and humid for growing grapes.
But the climate is milder in the far south of Brazil, near the border with Argentina and Uruguay.
Rio Grande do Sul state has a thriving wine industry with over 1,000 wineries. Last year, a total of 3.6 million hectoliters of wine were produced in Brazil, according to figures from the International Vine and Wine Organization broken down by country.
That’s certainly enough for a good party, but it’s tiny compared to the giants of the wine world.
Italy, the largest producer, made about 50.2 million hectoliters in 2021, while France was second with 37.6 million hectoliters. Argentina, the largest wine producer in South America, produced 12.5 million hectoliters.
To catch up, Brazil is continuing its export offensive and hopes to encourage wine lovers worldwide to taste its products. Currently, the country exports only two percent of its production.
As Rafael Romagna, head of the “Wines of Brazil” export agency, explains, the country is taking a strategic approach to this. Rafael Romagna’s organization is committed to making Brazilian wine better known on the world stage.
The agency was founded in 2004 by the Brazilian Wine Trade Association to work with the government to showcase Brazilian products at wine fairs and exhibitions worldwide.
Instead of each Brazilian winery having to handle the promotion of its wines overseas itself, “Wines of Brazil” does it for everyone.
“A Brazilian winery would hardly be able to afford the cost of traveling to these events on its own,” says Mr. Romagna.
“As part of the strategy, Wines of Brazil participates with Brazilian wines in blind tastings, often with positive results. Our country is not yet recognized as a producer, so people are surprised when they realize they have just tasted a Brazilian wine, a high-quality product at that.”
Brazil’s winemakers still have a long way to go to catch up with production levels in neighboring Argentina. Ms. Mezacasa of “Aurora” says patience is needed to build an export business.
“It doesn’t happen overnight, and you must do a whole study to determine if overseas customers will receive a product well.”
She adds that while Brazilian wine is likely to be compared to that of its neighbors Argentina and Uruguay, their focus is on red wines, while Brazil has developed a specialization in sparkling wines, made in the same way as Champagne.
“We prefer to focus on what we do better – sparkling wine,” she points out. “Aurora” now exports its sparkling, red, white, and rosé wines to more than twenty countries, including China and Japan.
The winery itself was founded in the 1930s and remains a cooperative owned by some 1,100 families, all of whom grow their own grapes.
Flavio Pizzato, a partner in Brazil’s Pizzato Winery, says the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympics helped boost wine exports, as the two events increased global interest in everything that comes from Brazil.
His company now exports to England, Germany, and the US, and he agrees that time must be taken to build overseas demand.
“Exporting is a long-term project. It’s not an adventure of someone who wants to export once; it’s ongoing work. And Brazilian wine has evolved a lot, not only in terms of the quality of our products but also commercially.”
In southern Brazil, the weather is suitable for growing grapes. But while Brazilian winemakers will inevitably say their wines are excellent, what do wine experts abroad have to say?
Evan Goldstein, a master sommelier from San Francisco, says the quality can be very high.
“Brazil may be a new entrant on the global wine stage for many, but once people taste the wines, they are – at the higher end of the range – very pleasantly surprised and delighted.”
Rebecca Gibb, Master of Wine from the United Kingdom, says the problem for Brazilian winemakers is encouraging wine drinkers from abroad to try the wines in the first place.
“While there is nothing to stop Brazil from finding a small niche in the UK market, it is hard to imagine a big success. However, some open-minded importers are pushing for it.
“There would have to be a compelling price point, a high level of quality, or a typical wine style like New Zealand’s sauvignon blanc or Argentina’s malbec to gain a foothold.
“Brazilian sparkling wines, for example, are good, but why would a Champagne, Prosecco, or Cava drinker choose Brazilian sparkling wines regularly?”
With information from Latina Press
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