The Brazilian wine region of Serra Gaúcha is a hotspot for thirsty wine tourists. Tucked into the hills of the Gaucho highlands of Rio Grande do Sul, Vale dos Vinhedos is the best known sub-region although there are hundreds of wineries in Serra Gaúcha worth visiting. Between wine tastings, you’ll need to find some sustenance. Although there are relatively few wineries with restaurants in Vale dos Vinhedos, there are a handful of winery restaurants you should put on your ‘must eat at’ list!
Winery restaurants to visit in Serra Gaúcha
Winery restaurants in Vale dos Vinhedos
Vale dos Vinhedos is where you’ll find the greatest concentration of wineries to visit. This sub-region of Bento Gonçalves is at the centre of Brazilian wine production. Here are a few winery restaurants in Vale dos Vinhedos to whet your appetite.
Casa Valduga
Casa Valduga winery is one of the most tourist-friendly wineries in Vale dos Vinhedos with a hotel as well as a restaurant to let you linger a little longer between wine tastings and visiting the winery. The Maria Valduga Restaurant serves up hearty Italian cuisine (including homemade pasta) as an ode to the matriarch of the winery. Portions are abundant and satisfying.
Open from 12.30 till 3pm for lunch daily. Read more on Casa Valduga.
Miolo
Miolo is one of the biggest brands of premium wine in Brazil, and their winery (right in front of the Hotel Spa do Vinho with another good restaurant) is one of the most popular to visit. There’s no restaurant per se in Miolo, however, they do have a lively wine garden where you can purchase a picnic, snacks and a few bottles of vinho while enjoying the sunshine and vineyard views. Flexible hours allow you to enjoy a picnic at sunset too and live music is often on the menu come sundown. This patch of grass has become one of the most Instagrammed spots in Vale dos Vinhedos!
Osteria Della Colombina
Not exactly a commercial winery, but with their own vines and wines Osteria Della Colombina is a taste of how Vale dos Vinhedos used to be before the big investment wine production and enotourism. This is a family home where grapes are still crushed by foot, wine made by hand and large bowls of pasta served steaming from the kitchen. Book ahead for a homemade lunch to remember.
Restaurants in Vale dos Vinhedos
If you want to sit down to a lunch or a hearty dinner while visiting Vale dos Vinhedos, here is my pick of some of the best restaurants in Vale dos Vinhedos:
- Lucanda di Lucca
Lucanda di Lucca is a homely restaurant in the countryside offering handcrafted dishes that celebrate local organic products and a wine list serving organic and biodynamic wines. - Caldeira Restaurant
An upmarket joint in Bento Gonçalves serving a wide range of grilled meats, fish, risotto and pasta dishes. - Pizza entre Vinhos
As you’d expect in a region of Italian immigrants, there’s plenty of pizza in Vale dos Vinhedos and Pizza entre Vinhos is one of the best pizza spots in the region (and with a great wine list to boot!)
Winery restaurants beyond Vale dos Vinhedos
Rio Grande do Sul can be explored far beyond Vale dos Vinhedos and you could spend days working your way through the different wine regions. It’s not only thirsty work visiting Brazil’s wine regions, but hungry work too! Here’s my pick of a top winery restaurant beyond Vale dos Vinhedos:
Don Guerino
The Motter family have been growing vines for five generations but the Don Guerino winery is a modern enterprise run by the newest generation – three brothers. Every Saturday, the winery opens its doors for a special wine-paired lunch with several courses of contemporary Brazilian cuisine with a heavy Italian influence.
Read more about Don Guerino winery.
