Courmayeur

23.10.08 Ed McCarthy wrote about Brazilian wines

Wines from Brazil: The Next Wave Coming to the U.S.?By Ed McCarthy – www.winerereviewonline.com  “(…) Brazil, in fact, is presently the fifth largest producer of wines in the Southern Hemisphere--after Argentina, Australia, South Africa, and Chile.  Yes, even larger than New Zealand. Almost all (90%) of its wines are produced in Rio Grande do Sul, the southernmost state, bordering Uruguay (which also produces wine). I just returned from a visit to the Brazilian wine region, located around the thriving town of Bento Gonçalves -really a city of 100,000 people, with its inhabitants enjoying the second-highest per capita income rate in all of Brazil.  Outside of Bento Gonçalves  and Garibaldi, I visited eight wineries and tasted wines from at least another eight wineries; many of the wineries and vineyards are located in the appropriately named Vale dos Vinhedos, making it easy to travel from one winery to the other.(…) Brazilian wineries to look for include Pizzato, Panceri, Luiz Argenta, Perini, Courmayeur, and Don Laurindo.Brazilian  wine exports have increased 127% since last year, admittedly from a miniscule base.  I visited Brazil with limited expectations; I returned impressed.  I found the wines to be generally well-made, interesting, and well-priced.  For my reviews of some of the current  Brazilian wines available in the U.S., go to the Wine Reviews page.”