When we think of Brazil, anything can come to mind, but without a doubt wine is not one of these things: at best we know the caipirinha, or we imagine the cold beer needed to cool off on the hot tropical beaches.
Yet there is a market, that of wine production, which may come as a surprise in the coming years. Rio Grande do Sul, the southernmost region of Brazil, on the border with Uruguay and Argentina, in fact has optimal climatic characteristics for vineyards. The first companies in the sector were founded by Portuguese immigrants, then between the end of the 800s and the beginning of the 900s, the Italians also started their own production.
“We have already sold our wines to an English company – explains Arley Firmino Pereira, producer of the Miolo Wine Group, a company founded by Italian immigrants in 1897 – And it is going very well. Our vineyards enjoy an excellent temperature and good soil. This is reflected in our wines and our 2005 merlot won the international award in a blind-tasting test for the best merlot priced under $100.”
Although the internal market is still to be explored, Brazilian wines are starting to make inroads in the markets of the United States, Canada, Hong Kong, Poland, Germany, Sweden and Holland. Also in the United Kingdom, Jancis Robinson and Oz Clarke, two of the most famous critics have given a positive opinion: "The quality is there and the price is reasonable".
Brazilian wine is mainly produced from French grapes and includes the whole range of reds, whites, rosés and sparkling wines. They have characteristics similar to those of Chilean wines, and this fact could prove to be fortunate for Brazil, given the appreciation that Chilean products receive internationally.
From the point of view of exports, however, the two countries are still light years away: while Brazil exports the equivalent of 3,3 million dollars abroad, Chile reaches 1,6 billion.
However, Brazilian producers and traders are confident that the World Cup can become the goose that lays golden eggs for the sector, "a promotional opportunity not to be missed" to "showcase the quality and variety of our wines and increase exports", says Ana Paula Kleinowski of the Wines of Brasil trade association .
Perhaps more than concentrating on the external market, green-gold producers, but also Italian companies, could address the enormous potential offered by the internal market: Brazilians in fact drink an average of two liters of wine a year, almost as much as a European citizen drinks in a weekend.
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