Brazil's premier wine region in the highlands of Rio Grande do Sul, where Italian immigrant families planted vines in the 1870s on basalt and sandstone soils at 700–900 metres altitude. The Vale dos Vinhedos sub-GI was Brazil's first demarcated wine region; Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and sparkling wines from indigenous Moscato Branco (Bianco) and Chardonnay show genuine quality. Brazil's wine culture is Italian in heritage but increasingly South American in ambition.
| Year | Rating | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | — | Good Brazilian harvest; fresh Merlot and excellent sparkling base wines |
| 2022 | — | Outstanding year; Cave Geisse sparkling and Miolo Lote 43 excelled |
| 2021 | — | Good conditions; balanced ripeness across Merlot and sparkling varieties |
| 2020 | — | Consistent growing season; Merlot achieved good phenolic maturity |
| 2019 | — | Benchmark Serra Gaúcha vintage; first international quality recognition |
| 2018 | — | Wet growing season; Cave Geisse's traditional method wines compensated well |
| 2017 | — | Warm, even season; full Merlot ripeness and good sparkling base quality |