We're proud to import a selection of Brazilian wine Hong Kong. As in much of South America, Brazil had its first grape vines brought by missionaries in the 16th century. Yet the excessive heat and high humidity has made only the southernmost provinces of Brazil best for wine. Experts have established a wine 'belt' that lies between the 30th and 50th latitudes in both the northern and southern hemispheres, which rules out a great portion of Brazil. The region of Rio Grande do Sul however, is a prolific wine making region in the south, with the Serra Gaúcha area first planted successfully by Italian immigrants. Serra Gaúcha is dominated by cooperative winery operations, and is the home of the first designation of origin in Brazil, the DO Vale dos Vinhedos. Despite the European immigration and large population, Brazil's wine industry has been slower to develop than the rest of South America. The earliest plantings were of Tannat, Barbera, and Trebbiano and are still somewhat common today. French varietals planted later in the 20th century have also continued to be relatively popular. Brazil, while large, mostly lies outside the latitude that is considered suitable for wine production. The Vale do Sao Francisco in the northerly region of Bahia is an outlier to the wine 'belt' theory, and its flat, dessert like terrain make it possible to hold two harvests a year, though with considerable human intervention. Yet Brazil, with its European ancestry, still considers wine an important cultural force, and the government has used the World Cup and the 2016 Olympics as launching pads to promote locally made wine!