Casa Perini – Like Finding a Perfect Italian Wine Region in Brazil with 50 Shades of Muscato

(June 2018) Nestled deep in the rolling hills of Southern Brazil is a sleepy little valley filled with vineyards, Araucarias pine trees, wildflowers, and an old Italian styled winery called Casa Perini. Not only does the landscape look like Italy, but the home-made food spread out on the lunch table speaks loudly of the Italian heritage of father and son team, Benildo and Pablo Perini.

“My great great grandparents arrived here from northern Italy in 1876,” explains Pablo. “At first they planted a small vineyard and produced wine at a local coop, but in 1970 we started our own family winery.”

As Pablo and export manager, Barbara Ruppel, toured us around the property, we were impressed to see how large the winery had become. Today they produce 12 million liters of wine per year from 80 hectares of vineyards, as well as purchased grapes. They employ over 100 people, and specialize in sparkling muscato.

Fifty Different Shades of Muscato

“Casa Perini is located in the special appellation of Farroupilha GI. In this region, we produce 50% of all the moscato in Brazil,” stated Pablo, “and have more than 50 different clones of moscato in our vineyards. Indeed, we have been told that we have the largest diversity of moscato in the world, including some that was lost in Italy and now only survives here.”

Tasting the Wines of Casa Perini

During my three hours at Casa Perini, I was able to taste 10 different wines, including a variety of sparkling moscatos, ranging from bone dry to very sweet. In addition, there were some lovely reds, including a Barbera, Marselan, Pinot Noir and a red blend. Probably most unusual was a 2007 sparkling rose, which was an orange color and tasted like “Tokay with bubbles.” Fascinating – who would think to age sparkling muscat!

Some of the highlights of the tasting for me were:

• Casa Perini Nature – made in the traditional method with 56 months on the lees, this was a classic sparkler made with 60% chardonnay and 40% pinot noir. It had lovely notes of lemon meringue and cream brule with a very long luscious finish. 92 points
• Casa Perini Ice – all the rage in France right now, this specially designed bubbly was made to add ice and enjoy as a cocktail. We tried it first without ice and it tasted intense and bitter, but with the ice it was softly sweet, fruity, and absolutely delightful. 89 points
• Casa Perini Sparkling Moscatel – seducing the nose with notes of peach and soft berry, this semi-sweet moscato is a crowd pleaser with honey and nectarine on the palate followed by a crisp refreshing finish. 80 grams per liter sugar. 93 points

An Old Style Italian Lunch with Papa Perini in Brazil

“We need to hurry,” said Barbara, looking at her watch. “Papa Perini always likes to eat lunch right at twelve. We are a few minutes late.”

Sure enough, as soon as we rushed into a low stucco room filled with scents of tomato sauce, garlic, and basil, we saw Papa Perini already seated at the table with a large glass of Casa Perini Brazilian Barbera and a fresh green salad. “It’s time to eat,” he announced, beckoning to us.

As soon as we were seated, large platters of pasta, chicken cooked in herbs, fresh breads, and vegetables were brought to the table. We helped ourselves, family style, to the food, and tasted through some more wines at lunch, including the Casa Perini red grape juice, which is a favorite in Brazil.

During the meal, Papa Perini peppered me with questions, in Brazilian Portuguese, about Trump. It was an interesting exchange, as Pablo translated his questions into English for me, and I could sense the quick intelligence and humor behind some of his statements.

Ending with a Classic Brazilian Dessert

Dessert was the classic Brazilian bowl of vanilla ice cream with fresh berries on top, and served with a chilled glass of pink sparkling moscato. Yes – the Brazilians really know how to do dessert right!  I left Casa Perini with a warm feeling, not only due to all of the comfort food I ate during lunch, but the authentic hospitality and friendly environment I encountered while visiting the enchanting little valley owned by Casa Perini in the rolling hills of Serra Guacha, Brazil.