How was the 2021 vintage of the Serra Catarinense in Brazil? A mix of many vintages in only one if we listen to Eduardo Bassetti from Villaggio Bassetti. As he and many other local producers report, it was a challenging vintage because of the inconsistency of the weather during the whole season. But wouldn’t this be the new paradigm coming from climate change?

2021 vintage report from the Serra Catarinense, Brazil

If 2020 was a fantastic and historic harvest in Serra Catarinense, 2021 was marked by several climate challenges in practically all phases of the vine cycle. Challenges will probably be the rule from now on because of climate change, which was so discussed in the media in recent months due to the IPCC — Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change – report.

The key points in the 2020/2021 vintage in Serra Catarinense:

Above-average temperatures in August and September (between 1.5 to 2 degrees Celsius above average) dictated the bud break in most varieties. In the rest, temperatures were within the average for the region.

Black frost occurred on August 24th, with temperatures reaching minus 5 degrees Celsius which harmed the early varieties that had already sprouted. Maikely Paim, Leone di Venezia winemaker, noted that this frost specifically ended up harming the Rebo, Gewurztrazminer and Refosco varieties, as some vineyards with losses of up to 80% of the total.

vintage report brazil — Damaged vine at Leone di Venezia after black frost. Photo by: Maikely Paim

Late frosts occurred on November 4th and 5th, and November 17th, with specific losses for late-ripening varieties (such as Montepulciano) at some wineries, such as Leone di Venezia.

Rainfall was below average between August and November, with normalization in December (that even helped the cycle) but with excesses of rainfall during the maturation phase. Veraison started earlier than in the previous year’s harvest. According to Eduardo Bassetti Pinot Noir began to change its colour on 20th December, three weeks earlier than normal.

There was excess rainfall in January with more than 200mm falling between January 17th and 30th. Early-ripening varieties experienced some losses due to this rainfall, but late-ripening varieties weren’t affected.

Most varieties continued with their early ripening, and Eduardo Bassetti reported his earliest harvest on record (picking Pinot Noir on 22nd February) as did Leone di Venezia (picking their Gewurztraminer in January!)

From the middle of February to the end of April, the volume of rain fell below the historical average, which avoided problems for the maturation of the late varieties, such as Montepulciano, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Garganega, Syrah. Montepulciano even reached between 26 and 27 degrees Brix.

So, what can we expect from Vintage 2021 in the high altitude wines of Santa Catarina?

We can expect wines with average quality, similar to the vintages of “normal” previous years. There were however lower yields/fewer bottles produced from the early varieties (Chardonnay, Rebo, Refosco, Pinot Noir, and Gewurztraminer), and some wineries experienced some significant losses.

In general, these early varieties (Pinot Noir, Gewurztraminer) will be lighter with less structure and lower alcohol content.

There will also be greater acidity, lower alcohol content, and less structure in white wines. However, the later ripening red varieties will are showing a similar structure and concentration as normal.

Thanks to Eduardo Bassetti and Joelmir Grassi from Villaggio Bassetti, Maikely Paim from Leone di Venezia and Nei Rasera from Villa Francioni.

The gorgeous state of Santa Catarina is best known for its stunning beaches on Santa Catarina island and the cosmopolitan, beachside capital of Florianópolis. But this rather small state, which is sandwiched between Paraná to the north and Rio Grande do Sul to the south, has many hidden gems in its rather less-explored inland area. If you can drag yourself away from the golden beaches and incredible surf on the coast, Santa Catarina has some rather high-altitude mountains that offer spectacular landscapes, adrenaline-fuelled climbing and some of the coolest temperatures in Brazil. Believe it or not, it actually snows here sometimes in winter — something not many Brazilian regions can claim!

The Serra Catarinense wine region & turismo do frio in Santa Catarina

The cool winters make it prime turismo do frio territory and also one of Brazil’s most exciting emerging wine regions. Known as the Planalto Catarinense or Serra Catarinense, almost all of Santa Catarina’s vineyards are planted on this high-altitude plateau of the Santa Catarina mountain range. Vineyard altitudes range from 900 to over 1,425 m.a.s.l. and are concentrated mainly between Campos Novos, Caçador and São Joaquim — one of the highest cities in the country. A few vineyards are also emerging around Água Doce, known as the Planalto de Palmas.

In the late 1960s, the Hiragami family from Japan pioneered apple-growing in the Serra Catarinense, which developed into a thriving apple industry. In 1999 Quinta da Neve planted the region’s first vineyard, and several other local families followed suit. The Hiragami family also planted a vineyard, not too far from their apple orchards, in 2006 which at 1,427 m.a.s.l. became Brazil’s highest vineyard at the time.

The reason the Serra Catarinense offers a good climate for both apples and grapes is the typically wide diurnal range, which is lacking in most of Brazil’s regions with their sub-tropical climate. The daily temperature range that comes from being at this altitude helps produce wines of character and quality. High-altitude viticulture in the Serra Catarinense has boomed and there are now some 400 hectares of vines here. An association of high-altitude producers, Vinhos de Altitude de Santa Catarina, is on a mission to establish an appellation for still and sparkling wines and is currently going through the approval process at Embrapa. The rare occurrence of snow in the region allowed Santa Catarina to produce Brazil’s first ever ice wine during a particularly cold winter in 2009.

Another benefit of the higher altitude and cooler temperatures is that berry maturation and sugar accumulation take place much more slowly and the harvest in the Serra Catarinense can be as much as two months later than that in Rio Grande do Sol, during April or even May, which are much drier and cooler months. However, while the temperatures and drier weather during the harvest season are a plus, the vineyards still have to address the challenge of high rainfall throughout the summer. Site selection is incredibly important, as growers need to find free-draining soils, which are mainly derived from basalt and volcanic rock.

As with Brazil’s other wine regions, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Chardonnay play an important role here. However, I’m more excited by the potential of Sauvignon Blanc. Despite its smaller size, Serra Catarinense is quite a hive of experimentation, with producers trialling a wide range of varieties and exploring a gamut of styles from sparkling to passito wines. There is also a handful of organic and biodynamic vineyards. As it is such a young region, it is still very much finding its feet but the early results are promising.

Most of these wines are consumed by tourists visiting the wineries during their turismo do frio expeditions, and there are notable wine shops in São Joaquim (including Casa do Vinho with its dedicated tasting room). Nonetheless, some wines are also finding their way into the most sophisticated wine bars and restaurants in Brazil.