T. Ozbun
Research expert covering food retail and all food topics for Italy and Brazil
Wine industry in Brazil – statistics & facts
Brazil is one of the most promising emerging markets in the wine industry worldwide. The largest economy in Latin America has an estimated total population of over 210 million inhabitants, of which 155 million are over the age of 20, therefore, legally allowed to drink alcoholic beverages. In 2022, around 44 million consumers in Brazil drank wine at least once per month.
Similarly to production, wine consumption in Brazil has risen, with demand having reached just under 439 million liters in 2022. Per capita consumption has sat around or surpassed two liters per person per year since 2019 but still lags behind that of ‘old world’ wine countries, or neighboring wine markets Argentina and Chile.
Internationally, the most highly praised Brazilian wines, usually considered the country’s ‘signature’ wines, are within the sparkling or semi-sparkling category. One of the most famous Brazilian varietals is Moscato, also known as Muscat in English speaking countries.
It is estimated that around two thirds of the wine sold in Brazil is produced domestically, whereas the remainder share comes from foreign wine producing nations. The largest share of imported wines in Brazil originates in Chile (over 40 percent), while around 20 percent comes from Argentina and 14 percent from Portugal. These imports are mainly destined to the southern states of Santa Catarina and São Paulo. The latter's homonymous capital city is considered the country’s culinary center and home to the most acclaimed Brazilian restaurants.
How does the Brazilian wine market compare?
Wine production in Brazil reached 3.2 million hectoliters in 2022, the second-highest output since 2014. Still, Brazil is the third largest producer of wine in Latin America, after Argentina and Chile. Wineries in Brazil mainly produce table wine as opposed to fine wine, which is obtained from the grape species Vitis vinifera.Similarly to production, wine consumption in Brazil has risen, with demand having reached just under 439 million liters in 2022. Per capita consumption has sat around or surpassed two liters per person per year since 2019 but still lags behind that of ‘old world’ wine countries, or neighboring wine markets Argentina and Chile.
Internationally, the most highly praised Brazilian wines, usually considered the country’s ‘signature’ wines, are within the sparkling or semi-sparkling category. One of the most famous Brazilian varietals is Moscato, also known as Muscat in English speaking countries.
The South leads in wine production and trade
Rio Grande do Sul is, by far, the largest wine producing and exporting state in the country. The majority of Brazilian wine exports are destined to the neighboring Paraguay, which accounts for more than half the total value of wine exported from Brazil. The U.S. is another important market of destination, accounting for over 17 percent of exports.It is estimated that around two thirds of the wine sold in Brazil is produced domestically, whereas the remainder share comes from foreign wine producing nations. The largest share of imported wines in Brazil originates in Chile (over 40 percent), while around 20 percent comes from Argentina and 14 percent from Portugal. These imports are mainly destined to the southern states of Santa Catarina and São Paulo. The latter's homonymous capital city is considered the country’s culinary center and home to the most acclaimed Brazilian restaurants.
