Head to southern Brazil for high-quality wine (#WinePW)

Brazil is by far the largest country in South America and all of Latin America. In fact, Brazil is the world’s fifth-largest country by area and the fifth most populous. Yet, it is only the fifth largest wine-producing country in the southern hemisphere.

Of course, we all know the reason. Location, location, location.

Much of the country is too tropical for growing wine grapes. But, in the more temperate southern states – away from the equator and at higher elevations –Brazilian wine producers are getting noticed for their high-quality Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Tannat and Chardonnay.

I was grateful to receive a 2016 Miolo Family Vineyards Reserva Chardonnay from Campanha, Brazil, as a sample. Miolo is a global wine group and the leading producer in Brazil. Thank you, Susannah at avvinare, and Wines of Brasil for including me on this shipment and hosting the Wine Pairing Weekend chat on Brazilian wines on Saturday, Sept. 14, at 11 am ET. Please join us by following the hashtag, #WinePW.

(Please note that while the wine for this post was provided, opinions are my own.)

The region – Campanha

Campanha (also known as Fronteira) is Brazil’s most southerly wine-producing region. It was settled by the Italian immigrants who brought winemaking to Brazil during the late 19^th century.

A thin strip of land, Campanha stretches along the Uruguayan border to Argentina in the west. Vineyards are located about 180 miles southwest of the city of Porto Alegre, the state capital of Rio Grande do Sul.

The terrain consists of low, rolling hills and flatlands (pampas). Campanha is slightly drier than neighboring and more well-known Serra Gaucha. Long, sunny days followed by cool evenings are the norm, particularly in the higher elevations. This temperature swing allows for ripening of the grapes and ensure a balance of sugar and acidity.

Campanha’s sandy soils are made up of granite and limestone. These soils lack the fertility common to the South American pampas. This is a good thing for viticulture. It means the vine’s energy will go into producing high-quality grapes, rather than a lot of leafy foliage.

The winery and the wine

The Miolo family in Brazil dates back to 1897. Hailing from a small town in Veneto, Giuseppe Miolo was among the thousands of Italian immigrants who arrived in the country in search of opportunities. Upon his arrival in Brazil, Giuseppe went to Bento Gonçalves, a southern town newly founded by Italian immigrants. He exchanged his savings for a land lot in Vale dos Vinhedos and embarked on winemaking.

Today, the Miolo Group has facilities in four different Brazilian wine-producing regions and operates in 30 countries.

Briefly aged in oak, the 2016 Reserva Chardonnay is produced from Miolo’s own estate-grown grapes in Campanha.

My tasting notes: Straw yellow in color. Stone fruit aromas of apricot and apple with tart lemon and lemon pith on the palate. Medium+ acidity and medium finish. Alcohol: 12.5%. Average price on wine-searcher.com: $20. A solid Chardonnay.

The pairing

Initially, my thought was to pair the Miolo with a traditional Brazilian dish such as chicken in coconut milk. But the recipe I found, featuring turmeric, cumin and coriander, was over-the-top spicy – too spicy for a dry Chardonnay.

So, I went to Plan B: forage through the kitchen for something more suitable. Fortunately, I had plenty of fresh veggies in the frig, and cheese and garlic chicken sausage in the freezer. Voila! The sausage was perfect for the Chardonnay – not too rich and definitely not spicy. Delicious, actually.

For more on Brazilian wine, I encourage you to read the posts by these excellent #WinePW bloggers listed below.

• Camilla of Culinary Adventures with Camilla shares “A Brazilian Sparkler +Frango à Passarinho and Pao de Queijo”
• Linda of My Full Wine Glass will be posting “Head to Southern Brazil for High-Quality Wine”
• Cindy of Grape Experiences  writes “Wine and Dine Brazilian Style with Alma Brut White Sparkling Wine from Salton Winery and Fried Calamari”
• Gwen at Wine Predator shares “A Poet Pairs Poetica Sparkling Rosé from Brazil”
• David of Cooking Chat  will be pairing “Brazilian Beans, Greens and Bacon with Sparkling Wine”
• Pinny of Chinese Food and Wine Pairing will be serving “Miolo Alisios Pinot Grigio/Riesling and Raw Ahi Tuna 3 Ways”
• Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm will be adding “Enjoying Indian Summer with Alma Sparkling Brut from Brazil”
• Cynthia and Pierre of Traveling Wine Profs will be sharing “Friends, Seafood, Bubbly and Chardonnay:Our Brazilian Wine Pairing Dinner”
• Debbie of The Hudson Valley Wine Goddess writes “Celebrating Garden Harvest with Brazilian Wine”
• Sarah of The Curious Cuisiniere showcases “Pastel de Queijo and Brazilian Sparkling Wine Pairing”
• Jill of L’Occasion posts “Bubbles from Brazil: a Treat for Wine Lovers”
• Jennifer of Vino Travels muses about “Brazilian Sparkling Wines with Salton Brut”
• Liz of What’s in the Bottle? joins with “Discover Brazilian Bubbles“
• Susannah at Avvinare  posts about “Miolo Merlot Paired with Brazilian Skirt Steak with Golden Garlic Butter”