Not everyone drinks, but those who do often recognize that the flavor profiles of different alcoholic beverages complement and augment certain kinds of meals. Wine, in particular, is often paired in different ways with different meals or even different courses to great effect.
The question is, if you’re enjoying a nice Brazilian meal, what wines should you consider pairing with your food?
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Do Brazilians Drink Wine?
What’s interesting about this question is the wine itself. Brazil has wine, of course. While South America’s wine countries tend to be Chile and Argentina more than Brazil, there’s simply no way that a country as huge and varied as Brazil would not have wine production.
At the same time, Brazilian wine has lagged behind wine production in many other countries around the world. Grapes aren’t native to Brazil, and while we certainly make some delicious alcohols (the cachaca comes to mind), wine hasn’t traditionally been one of them for most of our history.
That said, wine has been part of Brazil for at least 500 years. The wines we produce are unique and interesting, with a generally fruitier and sweeter flavor profile than wines you get elsewhere, in South America or around the world. A rainier climate in our largest vineyards is generally thought to be responsible for that difference in flavor.
It wasn’t actually until the 1970s that a more modern wine culture started to emerge in Brazil. That was when large, international wine producers started to make moves in Brazil. Whether it was large-scale production equipment, institutional knowledge, or just skilled technicians, that’s when wine started to take off.
Today, there are around 1,100 wine producers, large and small, throughout Brazil. Wines run the gamut from deep and oaky to light and bright, with fruity notes, savory notes, and even herbaceous notes that make them stand out as unique.
All of that begs one question: Do Brazilians actually drink wine, or are we just producing wine to export it?
Brazil is a country with a population of 211 million people. Certainly, some proportion of those citizens drink wine.
What Kind of Wine is Popular in Brazil?
If you ask anyone with a deep education in wine what to expect out of Brazilian wines, the number one word that they’ll say most often is “sparkling.”
Indeed, Brazil is well-known for sparkling wines, both in South America and around the world. Our sparkling wines are often made with a mix of vintage grapes, including both Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The way those grapes grow and the flavors they bring are particularly well-suited to the sparkling wines made in Brazil.
The end result is a very accessible and easy-to-enjoy sparkling wine with a fresh, clean, and very fruit-forward flavor profile. They’re also often relatively inexpensive, which makes for a good value on the alcohol, which isn’t always the case with different kinds of booze in Brazil.
Sparkling wine takes the main stage here in Brazil, but it’s not the only kind of wine we produce. There are also a variety of different hybrid wines in production, including Isabel, Niagara, and Bordo, which cumulatively make up most of the wine production of the country. They’re also some of the oldest varieties, brought over to Brazil by immigrants centuries ago. Isabel stands out as the largest of the three in terms of planting and production.
Brazil is also a haven for modern experimentation in wine. Whether it’s hybrid American varieties or new methods for making wine, Brazil has been overlooked and left to its own devices. This means that while a lot of our wines haven’t taken center stage on the global market, they have their own unique pros (and cons) that set them apart. True connoisseurs, those willing to try just about anything with an open mind, often find a new favorite somewhere in Brazil’s repertoire.
Pairing Wine with Brazilian Steak
Conventional wisdom is to pair steak dinners with a full-bodied red wine. Traditional recommendations include the ever-classic cabernet sauvignon, the malbec, or the syrah, all of which have strong tannin flavors that can help cut through the rich and fatty flavors of the meat, cleansing the palate between bites. A dry red wine stands out, providing a flavor and mouthfeel contrast that makes for an altogether richer experience.
That’s all for a traditional steak dinner, though. If you’re staring down a plate with a slab of meat and potatoes, then sure, these recommendations are great. What about for Brazilian steak, though?
Well, what makes Brazilian steak different?
The biggest difference is the flavor profile of the meat itself. Brazilian churrasco – our kind of steakhouse – cooks meat over an open flame, with little more than a crusting of rock salt to give it some added flavor. There’s no searing it in oil, no basting it in herbed butter, or anything of the sort.
The second addition to the formula is the style of serving. Our steakhouse, at least, uses the Rodizio style. That means you aren’t being handed a full steak. Rather, our gauchos come to the dining room and rotate from table to table, offering slices of different cuts to our diners.
Instead of having a full filet mignon or a large ribeye, you can sample over a dozen different cuts of steak. All of them are cooked over an open flame on the skewers. Most of them are flavored with nothing more than salt and the naturally rendered fat of the meat. Only a few of them, like our spicy picanha, have additional flavors coming from our spiced rub.
What does all of this have to do with wine? It changes the dynamic of the meal.
- Your steak tends to be less fatty overall because there’s no added fat in cooking. The fat you do get is rendered out of the meat, and much of that fat has dripped away during cooking, leaving behind the flavor.
- You’re sampling different cuts of meat. Traditional wine pairings assume you’re getting a specific cut, but Brazilian steakhouses give you a little of everything, including non-steak meats. Your choice of wine, which might pair well with one cut, may fall flat for another.
- There’s more to the story than just the meat. Items from our salad area or hot bar offer variation, but it’s not structured in courses like a more traditional European restaurant might. If you want a break from the meat, you can go get something else, and you don’t need to rely on the wine to cleanse the palette.
Pairing wines at a Brazilian steakhouse often means changing them up throughout the meal, with no more than a glass of each as you go.
Wine Pairings for the Start of the Meal
When you first arrive at a Brazilian steakhouse like Texas de Brazil, you’re told how it all works, and you’re given the chance to order your first drinks.
Your main choice here depends on what you want to get out of your meal. If you’re going to set up shop at your table and enjoy every meat that comes your way, you’re more likely to want something like a tannin-rich and deep red wine.
Most people, though, tend to start their meal with a light course from the salad area and hot items list. Whether you’re putting together a salad, trying the feijoada, or putting together a list of sides to enjoy along with your meat, it’s altogether a lighter and fresher start than getting right to the meat.
Our recommendation, then, is to start with a lighter white wine. The traditional Brazilian recommendation would be a sparkling wine, for the reasons we already mentioned above, and we have several to choose from.
The brighter acidity of something like champagne can help liven up the start of a meal, and of course, our sparkling wines are no different. They’re lighter – but no less complex – than the deeper reds, but they pair more nicely with the items you might be grabbing from the salad area.
If you’re not the kind of person who enjoys white wines, then the lightest and brightest red you can find is better. You want the fruitier notes, the more acidic flavor profile, and less of the deeper tannins you get from full-bodied reds.
Wine Pairings for the Meat of the Meal
Once you’ve settled in and you’re ready to start taking slices of the most delicious meats that come your way (hint: that’s all of them), it’s time to switch to something that better pairs with the heavier elements of the meal.
This is where your more traditional wine pairing options come into play. While, again, you aren’t necessarily sitting down to eat a whole t-bone steak on a plate here at Texas de Brazil, you’re still likely to have a similar amount of meat in individual bits and pieces as they rotate through the dining area.
In broad terms, the more richly marbled and fattier the meats you’re getting, the deeper and drier the red wine you want to pair it with. It’s the contrast you’re after. The tannins in the wine, alongside the bold fruit notes, help cut the fat from your mouth and reset your perceptions so each bite of meat comes in with its full strength.
Malbec is a good choice here, but you can also talk to your server and see what we have on offer in your location. Specific wines can vary on the wine list based on what we have available, and sometimes, new additions to the menu can be just what the meal calls for.
You may also consider a special wine if you’re here to celebrate an occasion, like a birthday or a major career milestone. Splurge a little if it feels right.
Wine Pairings to Wrap it Up
When you’ve had your fill of delectable meat, tried all the salad area items that looked great, and you’re ready to cap off the meal with a nice dessert, what should your final cup be?
This depends a lot on what you’re having for dessert.
If your dessert is on the lighter side, like our flan, the passion fruit mousse, the papaya cream, or a bit of key lime pie, a lighter wine with a bit of sweetness to pair with it goes well.
On the other hand, if you’re opting for something more like a carrot cake, pecan pie, or chocolate mousse cake, the heavier final dessert calls for a nice port to round things off.
Many people often feel like this is the place for a lighter sparkling wine or champagne, and that’s fine, too. If it’s time for something light to cap off a robust meal, we aren’t going to tell you otherwise. It all comes down to what you want to round out your dining experience.
Your Preference, Of Course
When all is said and done, wine pairings are just broad categories and recommendations. If you don’t like tannins, no matter how well the wines are meant to pair, you aren’t going to enjoy the experience. If you prefer the bolder flavors, the light sparkling wines aren’t going to do it for you.
The true wine pairing is whatever wine you find most compelling to go with your meal. It’s an experience for you, not for a wine writer on a blog you read or in a magazine dedicated to wine culture. You want what you want, and we want you to have what suits you the most.
So go ahead; order the white with the main meal, or start off strong with the deepest red we offer. It’s all entirely up to your preferences.
Whatever the case may be, we’d love to have you. Find your nearest Texas de Brazil location and plan a visit, whether it’s for a special occasion or just for fun. Join our e-club for special coupons, book a group deal, or even call in catering. There’s no wrong way to enjoy your time at Texas de Brazil. Stop on by!
