Rio de Janeiro

The state, and the city, of Rio de Janeiro do more for the consumption of wine in Brazil than they do for its production. The sub-tropical climate makes viticulture a challenge and land prices in this populous but small state are not conducive to grapegrowing. Just 22 hectares are currently in production.

Syrah is the key grape variety is this region and it is used to make still, dry, red wines that work very well with the pork belly dishes that feature strongly in the local cuisine.

Syrah is the key grape variety is this region and it is used to make still, dry, red wines that work very well with the pork belly dishes that feature strongly in the local cuisine.

The cost of establishing vineyards under polytunnels, as is becoming more common in the region, is four tfour times the cost of a traditional vineyard setup at US$ 60,000 per hectare. It is only viable due to growing demand for wine tourism from wealthy residents of Sao Paulo to the south.