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brazil

Decanter: Brazil’s best wine routes

by AmandaB March 18, 2021

Published in Decanter, October 2020

As the Brazilian wine scene gathers momentum, wine tourism across this huge country is flourishing. Amanda Barnes recommends three fascinatingly diverse regions to explore, with tips on wineries to visit, where to stay and where to eat.

Serra Gaucha: The mecca of Brazilian wine

The heartland of Brazilian wine, with almost half of the country’s vineyards, Serra Gaucha rose to its current status after the mass Italian immigration of the late 19th century. At the time, families from all over Europe made their way to the new world with the promise of plenty of land and new opportunities.

Read the full guide, including the wine routes of Santa Catarina and Serra da Mantiqueira at Decanter.

Brazilian wine writer Amanda Barnes on Brazil wine regions and wineries for Decanter magazine. Guide to wine regions of Brazil

Serra Gaucha wineries and wine guide Amanda Barnes wine writer Decanter. Brazilian wine writer Amanda

Planalto Catarinense wine writer Amanda Barnes for South America Wine Guide and Decanter, Santa Catarina

Serra Da Mantiqueira wine region guide Amanda Barnes Decanter South America Wine Guide.

Brazilian wine writer Amanda Barnes for Decanter magazine

Read more about Brazilian wine in Amanda Barnes’ South America Wine Guide

Wine festivals in South America

by AmandaB August 12, 2018

South Americans know how to throw a party, and almost before the first grape has been picked, the harvest is being celebrated with wine festivals across the Southern Cone.

Traditionally the fiesta de vendimia (harvest festival) was a small celebration in the villages to celebrate the end of the harvest and a good vintage – the bigger the crop, the bigger the party. But today’s harvest festivals are far more elaborate with mammoth theatre productions, decadent wine tastings and VIP tickets sold months in advance.

Ica, Peru: Second week of March

Peru is the first wine country of South America and while production is mainly focused on Pisco today, in order to distill Pisco you have to make a lot of wine first.

Although Peru’s harvest celebrations date back to pre-Incan times, the annual wine harvest festival has only been held since 1958 and attracts an influx of revellers who come to greet the new harvest queen and taste fresh cachina (partly-fermented must) before moving onto the stronger aguardientes and mistela (fortified must). Music, grape-stomping and bountiful Peruvian cuisine are all part of this Pisco-fuelled festivity in Peru’s main wine region…

Read the full article on Decanter

Guide to Vale dos Vinhedos: Brazil’s unexpected wine region

by AB July 15, 2016

Written for Around the World in 80 Harvests.

Brazil’s main wine region, Vale dos Vinhedos, may well be what you least expect from the country known for its tropical beaches, flamboyant carnival and vast Amazon jungle. The landscape of Serra Gaucha, one of the southernmost states in Brazil, consists of hillsides and forest. It is humid, like all of Brazil, but the cloudy and rainy days make you feel closer to somewhere in northern Europe than the postcard image of Brazil. With 2000mm of rain a year and undulating hillsides, it paints an altogether different landscape to that of Rio de Janeiro.

Many compare it to Italian wine regions like Tuscany, and these comparisons are not as far-fetched as you might first think. This is indeed a little Italy. The location may be far off, but the culture is not.

As you drive around Vale dos Vinhedos, you’ll see small farms beyond the hedgerows, countryside houses in the style of Northern Italy, and signs for pasta and pizza restaurants. You might even hear some conversations in Talian – the old Venetian dialect that locals still speak. But most of all you’ll see vineyards and wineries. This region has the most concentrated number of wine producers in one area of the whole of South America.

So how did this pocket-sized corner of Brazil become such a wine hot spot?

Read the full article on 80 harvests!

Empanada and Wine Pairing

by AB February 15, 2015

Written for Grape Collective

If there’s one dish that you’ll find in every country in South America, it’s the mighty empanada. It may be fluffy and moist, or crisp and crunchy, bite sized or head sized, baked or fried… whatever texture and filling variation comes your way, these pockets of pastry are a perfect, unpretentious appetizer that pair wonderfully with the region’s wines.

One of my favorite dinner parties to throw is an empanada party – you only need to make one batch of empanada dough (a basic pie pastry) and you can let your imagination run wild with playful pairings, and you almost always find they work with South American wines. Here are some typical, and not-so-typical, South American empanadas to try pairing with the region’s wines.

Chile & Peru: Seafood Empanadas, Pisco and Sauvignon Blanc

These neighboring countries have a lot in common: stunning Pacific coastlines, high altitude winemaking and both claim to be the creator of Pisco! It’s not strictly a wine, but Pisco is grape-derived and, besides, a punchy Pisco Sour cocktail is a perfect way to kick off a South America tasting. Pisco (you can side with Peru or Chile) combined with lime juice, egg whites, powdered sugar (or syrup) and a dash of bitters makes a light and frothy, sweet and sour cocktail predestined to get everyone in the mood.

The best pair for Pisco Sour is traditional ceviche for a tongue twisting lime-citrus punch, fresh seafood flavors and aromatic cilantro. While I am the first to say that nothing beats a traditional ceviche, my unorthodox suggestion is an empanada twist on the national dish (let’s hope no Chilean or Peruvian great-grandmothers are turning in their graves at the thought!)

Leave the mixed seafood (cooked) and fish (raw, in cubes — try sea bass, grouper, sole, snapper or salmon) marinating with lime juice, finely chopped onion (salad onions or regular), red chilies, yellow pepper and cilantro for between 10 and 20 minutes, then stuff a couple spoonfuls of ceviche into your empanada skins, seal them well and deep fry until golden. The result is an empanada with warm, crispy pastry that contrasts wonderfully with the cool Pisco Sour but both harmonize in citrus, spice, sweetness and freshness. That should get everyone’s tongue tingling for the next course.

Another unmissable South American seafood empanada combo is the Chilean-inspired scallop and cheese empanada. Chile has a beautiful coastline and all along the seafront (especially towards the north) you’ll find empanada kiosks serving these freshly fried or baked empanadas that are just impeccable with coastal Chilean Sauvignon Blanc. I recommend wines from Casablanca, San Antonio, Leyda and Limari regions, and look for wineries like Amaral, Casas del Bosque, Leyda, Matetic and Tabali. The crisp, herbaceous and zesty Sauvignon Blanc pairs wonderfully with the sweet scallops and warm, saline melted cheese for a salty freshness and salivating snack that gives you a little taste of the ocean. Prawn and cheese empanadas also work well with Chilean Sauvignon Blanc, and if you really want to impress your friends try and get hold of some Chilean King Crab which goes a bit better with the rounder and creamier Chilean coastal Chardonnay.

Argentina & Uruguay: Meat Empanadas, Malbec, Torrontes, and Tannat

In Argentina and Uruguay, carne is king. Every dinner plate is dominated by steak, street corners are evocatively fragranced with a waft of asado (BBQ) in the air, and empanadas are almost always stuffed with their beloved cow.

Top 5 wine countries in South America

by AB January 30, 2015

Written for the Grape Collective, January 2015

Where else in the world can you find glaciers, jungles, extreme deserts, and high altitude mountains all within one continent? South America is a land of extremes and even though the Spanish introduced wine over 500 years ago, it is still a new discovery to many wine drinkers worldwide.

Although you might more readily associate the continent with daring bikinis, football madness and the ability to throw a good fiesta, South America is increasingly putting itself on the wine radar for high quality wines at pocket friendly prices with a bold trend towards extreme climates producing exciting wines.

Visiting the wine regions can combine exotic highlands, stunning beaches, mountain plantations at dizzying heights and gentle sloping hillsides in between. Whether you are going to discover South America’s wines first hand by traveling there, or from behind a bar at home, as the New World continent with the biggest wine production, South America is one to watch!

Argentina: Where Malbec Runs Faster than Gauchos

It may be the biggest wine producer on the continent (and has international swagger as the 6th producer worldwide) but there really is just one variety that everyone associates with Argentina… and accounting for over 30% of the county’s red wine production, it is a correct assumption that Argentina’s lifeblood is Malbec.

The variety boomed in this dry and dusty cowboy country over a decade ago and is still going strong as the most important variety for the country. Contrary to popular belief though, there is more to Argentina than gauchos, steak and Malbec… You’ll now find a wide range of red, white and sparkling wines in the cosmopolitan bars of Argentina’s cities, and increasingly in cities worldwide.

Argentina’s vineyards are mostly located along the Western spine of the country where the high altitudes offered by the Andes mountains balance out with the abundant sunlight and warm continental climate on the flat plains below. Most of the vineyards are in a rain shadow allowing vines to thrive up and down the country: in the mid west lays Mendoza where you’ll find the juiciest and most generous Malbec as well as ripe and rich Cabernet (both Sauvignon and Franc), jammy Merlot, attractive oaked Chardonnay and soft fruit Sauvignon Blanc; in the north towards Salta and La Rioja you can expect Argentina’s native white grape, Torrontes, to steal the show with its captivating and exuberant jasmine and tropical nose, or try some of the intense high altitude reds; and furthest south is Patagonia, the heartland of Argentine Pinot Noir and cooler varieties.

Budget around $20 to get good value and occasionally spend upwards where you’ll find excellent quality in reds and blends. Don’t miss out on the sparkling wines either – they are another delicious benefit of Argentina’s 500 year-long love affair with vino.

Biggest Surprise – Argentina’s cool Cabernet Franc blends.

Most Comparable To – South Africa or the USA.

If You’re in the Mood For – Wild West and juicy reds.

Phrase You’ll Walk Away Saying – Che, ese Malbec es una joya! (Dude, this Malbec is a gem!)

Chile: The Skinny Country That Is Fat With Diversity

Hot on the heels of Argentina as the second biggest producer, Chile is commercially strong but is geographically isolated from the rest of South America, buffered by its extremities of the Atacama Desert, the freezing cold Pacific Ocean, the high Andes mountains, and a frozen tail of fjords and glaciers. The unique long and thin shape of Chile means that you get a great mélange of climates and landscapes within one country, and certainly within one case of wine.

The famous Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon with rich cassis and ripe fruits usually comes from the warmer Central Valleys where sunshine and lolling hillsides characterize the zone and produce intense, fruit-bomb wines. This is also where you’ll find some of the country’s best Carmenere: the obscure French grape that became a Chilean champion for its smoked pepper, sweet red fruit and food friendly nature.

If you head to the Pacific coast, you’ll find refreshing and zesty Sauvignon Blanc, dark and spicy Syrah, elegant Chardonnay and excellent value Pinot Noir from Chile’s cool, coastal regions. There are more cool climates to explore further south in Bio Bio and Maule where you find the country’s oldest vines producing unique Carignan, Pais (or Mission), Malbec and field blends.

Last but not least, up at the far north of Chile, the star-bright Atacama and Elqui regions – with some of the clearest skies in the world – are producing racy whites and intensely aromatic Syrah.