Wine-Making in Brazil's Tropical Savannah: A French Enologist's Praise
Key Highlights :
The tropical savannah around Brazil's ultra-modernist capital is not exactly known as wine country, but French enologist Jean-Michel Barcelo gushes as he plucks a ruby-red grape and pops it in his mouth. "This terroir has real potential," he says.
Indeed, a new production technique developed by Brazilian researchers in the 2000s has enabled winemakers in the Brasilia region to hack the local climate and harvest in the winter, producing better-quality grapes—and wines that are starting to make a splash.
The technique, called "double pruning," involves pruning the vines twice a year, once in winter and once in summer, and using a synthetic hormone that regulates the vines' growth and keep them dormant so the grapes will be ready at the right time. Producers say the hormone leaves no trace in the final product.
Villa Triacca, a vineyard located a 50-minute drive from the sweeping white buildings of the seat of power in Brasilia, is the perfect place to demonstrate this technique. With its predominantly tropical climate, Brazil is far less known for wine than fellow South American producers Argentina and Chile—never mind France. But Villa Triacca's altitude of 1,000 meters (3,280 feet) above sea level, a dry climate and a difference of up to 15 degrees Celsius between daytime and nighttime temperatures in winter—all perfect for ripening grapes—have made it a success. Visitors on a wine tasting at the vineyard are also impressed.
"I was surprised by the quality," says Luciano Weber, a 45-year-old Brasilia resident. "I had no idea they were making something so good here."
The Brasilia region, known as the Federal District (DF), has just 10 vineyards, all opened in recent years. But the industry is growing. Farmland devoted to wine production leapt from 45 hectares (111 acres) in 2018 to 88 (217) last year.
Wine lovers are impressed by the freshness and complexity of Brazilian highlands wines, and some are dubious about the synthetic hormone. "We don't know what the effects are. I've never seen a study on it," says Suzana Barelli, a resident wine expert.
Still, the industry is growing and producers are starting to get noticed. "A lot of people still think if a wine isn't Argentine, Portuguese or French, it's no good," says Felipe Camargo of regional agricultural agency Emater. "We're going to change that fast."
Wine-making is a new and exciting industry in Brazil's tropical savannah, and with the help of innovative techniques, the region is becoming a force to be reckoned with in the world of wine.
