with the arrival of italian immigrants in the late 19th century, wine cultivation began to flourish and the quality of the produce was elevated, particularly in the south - in the second half of the 20th century brazil began producing wines which would be exported.

not much wine is produced in the state of rio, but is imported from the fertile southern regions, such as gaucha and campanha, as well as some northern regions, such as vale do são francisco in bahia - there are over 1,100 wineries in the country and sparkling wines are the best known, resembling italian spumante and prosecco.

although beer and cocktails are the drinks most commonly associated with brazil, wine is a burgeoning beverage - there is a significant sect of cariocas who have developed a penchant and pallet for quality grapes.