In the same tradition as Mardi Gras— i.e., one last big celebration before Lent for Catholics—Carnaval in Rio de Janiero is about celebrating life through song, dance, and in my case this last week, great wine. I’ve traveled the world and been lucky enough to see some amazing things, but Carnaval, with its sea of singing spectators, its never-ending procession of unimaginably creative floats, and its pulsating, joyful samba soundtrack, should be on the bucket list for anyone with a brain cell and two feet that can move to a beat. I challenge anyone to show me a people who can revel better than the Brazilians, whose infectious fun had me going for three days with roughly six hours of sleep, and the conviction that I would do it all again…in a heartbeat.

Beyond the obvious draw of a spectacle like Carnaval, wine lovers should definitely watch Brazil; its wine industry is creating a buzz for its own balanced wines slowly emerging from the shadow of neighboring Argentina and Chile. Most of my own time was spent exploring southern Brazil’s scenic Serra Gaúcha wine country, which to me, with its varied and wild beauty, was like a combination of Tuscany and South Africa’s Stellenbosch. In Serra Gaúcha, and its hotter neighbor to the southwest—Campanha— there’s a serious wine business gaining traction, and the industry is quietly revving up to make a splash on the American market with sparkling wines (méthode Champenoise, charmat) as well as various reds (Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Teroldego) whose subtlety is more reminiscent of the Old World than any comparisons one might make to the generally bolder styles of Argentina and Chile.

Brazil has youth and passion on its side. A new generation of Millennial winemakers who have traveled the world and studied in iconic wine regions are driving the quality of Brazilian wine to competitive levels, and fans of Champagne, cava or Prosecco will find high quality wines at affordable, mid-level prices. Crisp, clean and full of natural acidity, the sparkling wines being made by this new wave of winemakers may mean Brazil has a fighting chance in the global market in ways it never had before.

Wine has never been a big part of Brazilian culture…in the past you were more likely to see a beer or a Caipirinha in the hand of revelers in the chic bars of São Paulo to Ipanema. But that’s changing as the wine gets better and the Brazilians, like Americans, discover the excitement of pairing fantastic wines with food. I spoke with many Brazilian winemakers about the natural evolution that takes place when a culture begins waking up to the culinary world present in Europe for so long… more discerning tastes in food lead to other artisanal interests, primarily in wine, beer and spirits. And that’s good for all of us.

Now back to reality and with my Brazilian travels closed, I can’t help but associate the exciting days of Carnaval with the wine I was drinking throughout. As usual for me, another defining moment in life for me was accompanied by a glass of wine. This just seems to make sense, and I know that for me, celebration and a good glass of vino will always go hand in hand. Cheers!

Photo above from left: Julio Kunz of Dunamis, Morgana Miolo of Miolo Wine Group and Susan Kostrzewa of Wine Enthusiast at Wines of Brasil Carnaval event in Porto Alegre, Brazil

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