The Vale dos Vinhedos is a valley of vineyards and wineries in the Serra Gaúcha, between Bento Gonçalves, Garibaldi and Monte Belo do Sul, and the heart of Brazilian wine. It was settled by Italian immigrants from the Veneto in the 1870s, and many of the wineries are still run by their descendants; in 2002 it became the first wine region in Brazil with a protected geographical indication, and in 2012 the first with a full designation of origin.
A road winds through the valley past dozens of wineries, from big producers like Miolo to small family cellars, most open for tastings, tours and lunch. The local strengths are sparkling wines, made in both traditional and tank methods, and reds from Merlot, the grape the region's appellation is built around.
The Italian heritage runs through everything: the food is polenta, galeto — spit-roast chicken — and pasta, and in some families the old Venetian dialect, Talian, is still spoken. Nearby Garibaldi is the capital of Brazilian sparkling wine, and the Maria Fumaça steam train runs between Bento Gonçalves and Carlos Barbosa through the vineyard country. Harvest, from January to March, is the liveliest time.