Brazil’s large size and variety of climates allow, perhaps uniquely in the world, three types of viticultural practice. Jorge Tonietto and co-workers at Embrapa in Bento Gonçalves divide Brazilian viticulture into three macro-regions, each with its own particular characteristics suited to one of the three practices: traditional viticulture, tropical viticulture and winter viticulture.
Traditional viticulture
Here, the practices are the same as those used in most wine regions worldwide. The vines are pruned once a year and there is only one harvest. The normal physiology of the vine is followed. As a plant originally from, and most adapted to, cooler climates than the tropics, the vine has the well-known vegetative cycle of dormancy, budding, flowering, veraison, harvest and leaf fall. Due to climatic conditions, achieving more than one production cycle per year is impossible. Still the largest (in terms of planted area and production volume), this type of viticulture is practised in a macro-region with a mostly temperate, or humid subtropical, climate. Altitudes range from 50 to 1,400 metres. No irrigation is needed. Most Brazilian vines are managed in this way in the south of the country, in Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina and Paraná, and some parts of São Paulo, Minas Gerais and Espírito Santo.

Tropical viticulture
When average temperatures are above 22°C, there is no true dormancy, and vegetative growth continues throughout the year. It is possible to have more than one vegetative cycle in a single year. Since the 1970s, for table grapes, and the 1980s, for wine grapes, a system with two prunings and two (or even more) harvests a year has been practised. Irrigation is fundamental not only for water needs but also for controlling the cycle. The producer can, for example, reduce water supply and use a phytoregulator, such as ethephon, to end a growth cycle and force the vines to lose their leaves. Otherwise, the combination of pruning, irrigation and hydrogen cyanamide (to force bud break) will lead to a new cycle. Staggered parcels, control of irrigation and pruning allow the production of grapes throughout the year. This can be very advantageous in commercial terms and permits a better use of winemaking facilities. A steady flow of grapes for processing is better than working with a huge load of grapes in traditional harvests. This very technological type of viticultural management is still in development. Fundamental to this are, for example, selecting the best-adapted varieties (such as Chenin Blanc, Itália, Syrah) and rootstocks (such as Paulsen 1103 and IAC 766, 313, 572), precise irrigation, control of bud load and selecting the best pruning techniques. Tropical viticulture is concentrated in the north-east of the country in Pernambuco and Bahia, in the São Francisco Valley. This macro-region has a tropical semi-arid climate and altitudes range from 350 to 420 metres.

Winter viticulture (DPWH)
This recent development started in the early 2000s in Três Corações, south of Minas Gerais. Here, besides the usual pruning in August, known as ‘formation pruning’, there is another pruning (in January or February) called ‘production pruning’ – hence, ‘double pruning’ (also known as ‘inverted pruning’). The first pruning is severe, leaving single-bud spurs. A green harvest eliminates clusters in October or November. The production pruning is followed by hydrogen cyanamide application to break bud dormancy and avoid apical dominance. The grapes mature fully in the winter – hence, ‘winter harvesting’ (June to August) and my proposed acronym DPWH (double pruning and winter harvesting).
This unique trio of viticultural regimens has allowed Brazilian winemakers to extend their terroirs remarkably
There are two growth cycles and one harvest per year (there is no significant production in the ‘normal’ cycle). The oldest commercial DPWH vineyard, in Três Corações, Minas Gerais (most famous as the birthplace of legendary footballer Pelé), is now 21 years old and still going strong. Although it is presently impossible to know whether such management reduces the vine’s lifespan, the great health of the pioneering vineyard points to a significant useful commercial life. Winter in this macro-region is dry and sunny, with warm days and cool to cold nights (high diurnal variation). This maintains acidity and promotes a good level of polyphenols and aroma precursors. The macro-region is very large, coinciding with the Brazilian Highlands, and the vineyards lie mostly at altitude (600–1,200 metres). The predominant climate is temperate (subtropical), with dry winters. Many Brazilian states have areas with suitable conditions: Minas Gerais, São Paulo, Bahia, Goiás, Rio de Janeiro, Espírito Santo, Mato Grosso and the Federal District. The expansion of vineyards and wineries has been very fast and continues.
This unique trio of viticultural regimens has allowed Brazilian winemakers to extend their terroirs remarkably. The knowledge base and possible technologies have increased, placing the country and its viticultural researchers at the forefront of these developments. This benefits consumers, brings new options to wine lovers who appreciate new possibilities, and allows for a potential increase in Brazil’s exports. Although there are some producers using the principles of organic and biodynamic viticulture, the generally humid climate poses great difficulties, so that these practices are seldom encountered in Brazil.