Producers want to popularize sparkling wines beyond the parties in the routine of Brazilians

New Year, Christmas, weddings. When you think about the occasions when you can drink a sparkling wine, these are the dates that usually come to mind. Some wineries, however, want to demystify the consumption of the drink and expand the moments in which Brazilians drink this type of wine.

The idea of ​​using sparkling wine only for celebrations appeared as a form of marketing. The drink came almost by accident. During the production of still wines —as white and red wines are called—, producers in the Champagne region of France were surprised by a double fermentation of drinks in the bottle.

It is this double fermentation that generates the perlage, the famous pimples. Faced with the new product, it was necessary to create a differentiation in relation to other types of wine, and the drink then became associated with celebrations — at least, this is one of the most accepted versions on the subject.

It turns out that this creates a problem for producers: the peak consumption of the drink is linked to festive dates. In a country like Brazil, which is becoming a reference in the production of quality sparkling wines, the proposal to increase consumption is not only important for wineries, but it could very well work.

“Brazil is a tropical country, and sparkling wine is a refreshing drink that goes well with the beach or the pool”, explains sommelier Rodrigo Ferraz.

In addition, the drink is very gastronomic, that is, it harmonizes with a wide variety of dishes. “It goes well with fried foods, which are common here in Brazil. Fritters, beach foods”, he believes.

Another way to consume the drink is pure, without accompaniment. And, in this regard, sparkling wine may even be better than red wine, in a way, says the sommelier.

This is because the tannins, present in the more popular cousin, may in some cases require a more elaborate pairing, which frightens less experienced consumers.

Chandon is one of the wineries that follow the line of expanding the moments in which sparkling wine is consumed. “It’s not popularizing, it’s showing that we are not that unattainable fortress that many people might imagine”, says Philippe Mével, winemaker of the brand.

With this objective, the company created Casa Chandon, in Rio de Janeiro, a concept space in which the public can get in touch with the different types of sparkling wines produced by the company and participate in pairings.

The site had its first itinerant version installed in São Paulo, passed through the capital of Rio de Janeiro, and should reach the northeast in the coming months.

Even some canons of the world of wine the brand tries to break: some styles of sparkling wines are consumed with ice.

“Today, it is possible to find a variety of labels on the market that cater to different tastes, climates and budgets”, evaluates Maiquel Vignatti, sommelier and marketing manager at Vinícola Garibaldi.

He mentions the existence of sparkling muscatel, demi sec, brut and extra brut, which “offers a decisive differentiation to attract a younger public, which is not yet a consumer, and also to serve the more mature consumer accustomed to this type of drink”.

“Sparkling wine is, since its origins, linked to concepts of sophistication and elegance. It is considered the ‘king of wines’ because it undergoes two fermentations. It is also the drink that best represents the act of celebration, that is, the toast “.

Sommelier Silvana Aluá thinks that sparkling wines go well with cake, and that perhaps this pairing has contributed even more to the imagery that always associates celebrations with the drink. But Aluá claims that this type of wine is “a joker”, and that it harmonizes with many typical Brazilian foods.

“Acarajé. Sparkling wine and Acarajé is perfect”, he comments.

For her, the movement to remove the seasonality of sparkling wine consumption is important at a time when Brazil celebrates its first Denomination of Origin —this is the first recognition of its kind outside Europe, focused exclusively on sparkling wines.

Now, all bottles of sparkling wine bearing the DO Altos de Pinto Bandeira seal will have the certification that they were produced with a guarantee of the origin and quality of the grapes, in the specific conditions of the region’s terroir.

To be entitled to use the DO seal on their natural sparkling wines, according to Embrapa, wineries in the delimited area must comply with strict control rules, from growing the grapes to bottling.

Sparkling wine, in practice, has already entered people’s daily lives, says Daniel Geisse, marketing director at Vinícola Geisse and president of the Association of Wine Producers of DO Altos de Pinto Bandeira.

“We see the increase in the consumption of sparkling wines in restaurants. The jump is very large. This means that people began to understand that sparkling wines are the best alternative in a pairing, because you will hardly make any mistakes”, he says.

He says that sparkling wines from the New World (Americas, Oceania, Africa) are special to harmonize at different times of consumption. The versatility of this type of wine produced outside Europe comes from the acidity, which is high but balanced, which allows for the elaboration of drier sparkling wines.

“The sparkling wine helps to maintain the intensity of the flavor throughout the meal. Satisfaction with a meal accompanied by sparkling wine is usually greater”.