South America saw a real flooding of Jesuit missionaries who started organized wine production across the continent, and Brazil got their fair share. Many Germans and Italians ended up in the Serra Gaúcha region in the 19th century, with the Italians early on claiming the highlands 50 years after the Germans arrived in the lowlands. This gave the region a unique blend of culture, architecture and food, which you can still find in the picturesque cities. Especially the Italians brought wine making traditions, and this heritage is celebrated annually in the Festa de Uva festival in Caxias do Sul

For a great wine experience, go to Vinícola Vaccaro to see a mix of wine loving homes turned into tourist spots, Nova Alancia for chats with “The Brotherhood of Wine” and Vinicola Aurora for the largest winery in the country. If you want to visit many wineries in a short time, go to Vale dos Vinhedos for a tour of 25 really interesting winery visits.

This is the ninth part of 10 about amazing and beautiful wine regions to visit in South America, a series which has been previously summarized in GotSaga. For more wine places, go through the backlogs to read about wine places in France and Spain. After South America, we promise you the world, and a look at the amazing wine regions in New Zealand. Enjoy!