WINES
BRAZIL & BEYOND
The lesser-known South American wine-producing nations of Uruguay, Brazil and Peru are springing some pleasant surprises.
While grapes have been grown in Brazil for centuries, wine production is a comparatively recent phenomenon. In fact, only a small percentage of the adult population drink wine — and most of that is sweet ‘jug’ wine made from table grapes. Yet, for all this, the country’s producers are making some interesting wines well worth discovering.
While much of Brazil is tropical in climate, so unsuitable for growing grapes, it’s a vast country with many terroirs. Most wine is produced down in the cooler south, although there are some examples of winter wines — those that are tricked by the application of phytohormones into bearing fruit in July and August when it’s drier and cooler than in the Southern Hemisphere summer of January and February. Guaspari’s Vale de Pedro Shiraz (£26.99, from Go Brazil) is a good example.
Brazil’s calling card, though, is sparkling wine, which accounts for around half of its production. In fact, the country is home to the New World’s first dedicated sparkling wine appellation, Altos de Pinto Bandeira, which was recognised in 2022. Some of these wines are made in the style of prosecco, but there are also those from producers such as Família Geisse (see below) that use both champagne grapes and the champagne method. Beyond fizz, Brazil favours the production of red over white, although rosé, of which they don’t make a great deal, is actually better suited to spicy, African-influenced Brazilian cuisine.
Uruguay to the south is cooler with more of a coastal influence. Although it’s smaller, it has some dazzlingly impressive wineries plus its own wine route, Los Caminos del Vino. The country has already made a name for itself with its take on albariño and tannat, but reds like cabernet franc also do well here.
“What I love most about Uruguayan wine is that almost all of the wineries are family owned and there’s an individual personality to many of the wines,” explains Amanda Barnes, author of The South America Wine Guide. “It’s as though they’re family recipes handed down from generation to generation.”
Over on the Pacific side of the continent, Peru has actually been producing wine longer than any country in South America, with vineyards dating back to 1539. Yet the industry is tiny, with around 80% of grapes destined for pisco production. And, while the likes of sauvignon blanc and chardonnay have worked well here, it’s the country’s indigenous grape varieties that could be the passport to international recognition, according to wine critic Tim Atkin, who drew up a ranking of Per
