Cabernet Sauvignon (Brésil)

When it comes to wine, Brazil is deep in the shadows of its neighbors Argentina and Chile, though that could be set to change in the coming years. Cabernet Sauvignon is the most widely planted red grape in Brazil, and tends to be fairly heavy on plums and red fruit. There is a common theme of heavy oak across much of the style. Portuguese colonialists brought winemaking practices to Brazil in the mid-1600s. Wine was being made on a small, local scale for many years, and in the 1960s wine production finally started to swell. There are now around 1,100 wineries in the country. While Brazil is a vast, diverse country it does lack the diurnal climate of Argentina and Chile, both of which are spoiled with volcanic mountain ranges and the Humboldt current (a tidal phenomenon that cools the coastal wine regions). Brazil has a fabulous steak culture, so try drinking one of their Cabernets with a nice piece of medium-rare beef, or a pot roast of sorts.