(June 2018) If you enjoy visiting small boutique wineries where you are invited to taste wine in the family home, then Lidio Carraro Winery in the Serra Gaucha wine region of Brazil is for you. Even better is the fact that Lidio Carraro is the Brazilian leader in producing natural wines, based on their purist philosophy of winemaking with no additives, no filtration and not even any wood on red wines! The result is fresh and delicious wines with distinctive personality.
A Visit to Lidio Carraro WInery in Southern Brazil
Background of Lidio Carraro
The Carraro family emigrated from the Veneto region of Italy in 1875 to Bento Gonçalves, in the heart of Brazilian wine country. For many years the family grew and sold grapes, but in the 1990’s, Mr. Lidio Carraro decided to focus on cool climate Merlot with a vision to produce very high quality low-interventionist wine. Soon the whole family was involved, with sons Juliano and Giovanni involved in winemaking and daughter Patricia and Mama Carraro devoted to marketing and hospitality. With this dynamic family team, Lidio Carraro Winery launched in 2001, inviting customers to visit them in their small charming home to taste wines.
Today Lidio Carraro produces around 400,000 bottles per year, and exports wine to 28 countries. They sustainably farm 8 hectares of vineyards in Serra Gaucha and another 50 hectares of vineyards further south in the Serra do Sudeste wine region. They have six tiers of wine, beginning with the entry level Faces brand, to the mid-priced Agnus, Dadivas and Elos labels, and culminating with the luxury tier of Singular and Great Harvest – only produced in the best years. Styles and varietals ranges from sparkling, cool-climate merlot, chardonnay, pinot noir, tempranillo, malbec, teroldego, nebbiolo, and tannat.
Wine Tasting at Lidio Carrano Winery
“I Don’t Want to Make Coca-Cola Wine”
So how did Lidio Carraro become the leader in Purist Natural Wine in Brazil? According to daughter, Patricia Carraro, who welcomed us to their small charming home to taste wine, “In the 1990’s my father, Lidio, became upset with the types of wines that were being made globally. He called them Coca-Cola wines and said he didn’t want to produce wines that all tasted the same.” Therefore, the family decided to adopt a very purist philosophy, similar to what was being made in northern Italy in the 1800’s.
Today this purist philosophy fits perfectly into the “natural wine movement,” because Lidio Carraro produces their wines in a very natural fashion. The vines are farmed organically with all work done by hand. Grapes are picked by parcel and fermented with natural yeast. There is no fining, filtering, or additions, and all wines are aged without oak. This results in wines with very pure fruit and earthy notes, and sometimes with the slightly cloudy texture that is desirable in natural wines. Each vintage is unique, and so the wines exhibit the influence of each year’s distinctive climate.
The Carrano Family in their Vineyard. Photo Credit: LC Website
A Team of Powerful Wine Women
Though I have visited wineries all over the world, and have received extremely friendly welcomes, I must admit that Lidio Carraro was one of the friendliest wineries I’ve ever encountered. As I walked up the short flight of stairs to the old family home and into the living room, which was set up as an informal tasting salon, I was literally welcomed with open arms by four women. These included Mama Carraro, daughter Patricia, Export Manager, Monica, and Hospitality Manager, Leticia. They proceeded to entertain us with stories of the winery, their travels, and a fabulous line-up of wines to taste.
A Warm Welcome from the Lidio Carrano Team
I was extremely impressed with the overflowing passion and enthusiasm of Patricia Carraro, as she described the deep symbolism that was expressed in the logo of the winery and the individual names of the wines:
“Our logo is a bunch of grapes in the shape of Brazil,” she explained tracing her fingers over the delicate Lidio Carrano logo, “and the red color is to express the life blood of wine and the beat of passion in our hearts.”
“The name of each wine is also very relevant,” she continued. “For example, our Dadivas line, comes from the Latin ‘Da Divas ‘and means “a gift from heaven’ and ‘to celebrate life.’”
Highlights from the Tasting
We tasted through a delicious selection of very unique wines. Following are some of my favorites:
- Dadivas Espumante Brut Lidio Carraro NV – a 100% chardonnay with tart apple, lemon and yeasty notes. The official sparkling wine of the World Cup in Brazil. Refreshing. 90 points
- Faces Rose of Pinot Noir Lidio Carrano 2016 – a beautiful pale pink rose with soft strawberry, zippy citrus and a slight yeasty note. Lovely. 89 points
- Lidio Carrano Merlot 2011 Grand Harvest – a superpower of a merlot with dark plum, chocolate, herbs, and structured tannins. Very complex and long. 94 points
- Lidio Carrano Quorum 2008 Grand Harvest – masterfully crafted red blend of merlot and cabernet sauvignon, with complex black cassis, anise, forest floor and fine-grained tannins. It is pretty difficult to believe that there is absolutely no oak in this wine! 93 points
