Imagine this: basalt cliffs crumbling into iron-rich dust beneath century-old vines, golden sunlight painting the hills of Brazil’s only DO region, and a glass of Merlot so vivid it tastes like freedom on horseback. This isn’t Tuscany. This isn’t Napa. This is Vale dos Vinhedos, and at its beating heart are Ales Victoria—a boutique winery rewriting Brazil’s fine wine story—and Spa do Vinho, where vinotherapy meets pure indulgence. I went as a wine professional. I left converted. Here’s why you—wine lover, wanderluster, seeker of the next great terroir—need to go. They are developing Brazil as a wine destination.
Ales Victoria: Where Brazil’s Soul Meets the Glass
Deborah and Aldemir Dadalt translate their twenty-two hectares of lands, satellite-mapped with surgical precision, sit in the cradle of Brazil’s GI movement. Every vine is a declaration: This is us. This is now.
Walk the rows and history breathes. 150-year-old Isabella Labrusca vines—brought by Italian settlers—still fruit under the latada pergola, a living cathedral of green arches you duck beneath. The oldest Merlot? A defiant 25-year-old, roots clawing through basalt so hard it rings like iron, then powdery layers of calcium and iron, semi-precious stones, sand, clay, humus. This isn’t soil. It’s geology in a glass.
Sustainability isn’t a buzzword here—it’s survival turned visionary. Water purified by plant roots. Original Atlantic forest preserved. And the future? PIWI varieties—disease-resistant hybrids—being trialed in rested parcels. Brazil’s climate armor. The Dadalts aren’t waiting for change. They’re building it.
Twenty years ago, Michel Rolland walked these slopes and designed the front vineyard’s four sacred parcels. The proof is in the bottle.
The Tasting: Four Wines That Demand Your Attention
- 2019 Ales Blanc de Blancs: 1,200 bottles. Grand Gold at CMB. Two years sur lie, two in bottle. The label glows like sunrise on the vines. Taste it: razor-sharp citrus, river stone, warm hazelnut, brioche. A gastronomic sparkler that screams for crab moqueca under starlight.
- 2020 Lilith Pinot Noir: 1,800 bottles. Named for the original rebel. Translucent ruby, red cherry, forest floor, rose petal. Silky, savory, alive. Brazil’s first serious PN gunning for DO status. Pair it with duck confit and watch heads turn.
- 2020 Ales Merlot: Super Tuscan soul, Brazilian heart. No irrigation. 16–18 months in new French oak. Inky, explosive: black plum, mint, cedar, black pepper, wild bramble. The label—a dark horse in full gallop—is the wine: power, elegance, untamed. Grill picanha. Thank me later.
- 2018 Decorum Merlot: Vintage-declared. Four parcels. One vision. Graphite, dark cherry, mocha, velvet tannins. The pinnacle. Cellar it. Or don’t—because life’s too short.
- (Ales and Decorum? Same vines. Different love letters.)
Spa do Vinho: Where Wellness Becomes Wine Ritual
After the vines, surrender to Spa do Vinho—Brazil’s vinotherapy cathedral, and the crown jewel of a 5-star Autograph Collection hotel perched atop a hill amid 18 hectares of their own vineyards. This isn’t just recovery; it’s a full-body immersion in the valley’s magic, blending French-inspired Caudalie protocols with local terroir twists. Potable mineral water, drawn from the estate and warmed to a soothing 36.5°C (body temperature), powers the hydrotherapy circuits that simulate gentle river streams—think cascading jets, underwater massages, and effervescent grape baths that leave your skin humming.
The Vino Spa’s arsenal is a vinophile’s dream: Signature vinotherapy treatments using polyphenolic grape extracts for anti-aging facials, detox body wraps, and restorative massages that melt away jet lag (or post-tasting haze). Indulge in a classic grape-seed scrub or a red-wine bath ritual, then ease into the therapeutic heated pool for zero-gravity floats with vineyard views. Follow with a steam session in the wet sauna, a barefoot trek along the invigorating stone path for reflexology perks, or a sun-soaked lounge in the solarium—panoramic glass walls framing endless rows of Merlot and Tannat. It’s wellness with a 700-label cellar soundtrack.
And the Codallie? That ethereal perfume distilled from Chardonnay blossoms—harvested in one fleeting, fragrant week—now feels like the spa’s secret handshake. Spritz it post-treatment, and you’re wearing the vineyard.
The hotel itself elevates the stay into a seamless wine-country escape. Check in with a welcome glass of sparkling méthode traditionnelle, then settle into one of 128 air-conditioned rooms—many with private balconies overlooking the vines, stone fireplaces for chilly evenings, pillowtop beds draped in crisp linens, and minibars stocked with local sparklers. Marble bathrooms stock Vino.Spa exclusives: think lavender-infused robes, hair dryers, and rainfall showers big enough for two.
Dining? A terroir feast across five venues: Leopoldina Restaurant for elegant Brazilian tasting menus paired with rare vintages; Bistrô Culinária de Terroir’s à la carte farm-fresh plates; sunset parrillas at Esplanada Gaúcha with valley panoramas; casual bites at the Gastrobar; or intimate enoteca sessions at Vino.Libris. Free breakfast is a spread of regional cheeses, house-made jams, fresh pastries, and—yes—complimentary espumante to toast the morning. Sip at the rooftop bar as dusk falls, or unwind poolside with craft cocktails.
Active souls, rejoice: A 24-hour fitness center keeps you sharp, while outdoor pursuits include tennis courts for a friendly rally, an outdoor infinity pool blending into the horizon, a bubbling spa tub, and even hot-air balloon rides over the DO for aerial terroir scouting. Families or groups? Kid-friendly pools and event spaces (up to 5,400 sq ft for weddings or wine seminars) seal the deal. Free WiFi blankets the property, complimentary valet parking eases arrivals, and a concierge can orchestrate winery tours or cooking classes. It’s 15 minutes from Bento Gonçalves’ center, yet worlds away—a bucolic bubble where service feels familial, not fussy.
The cellar? Brazil’s largest: 700 labels, 40,000 bottles, every wine available by the glass via Coravin. Winemakers from Rio Grande to São Paulo gather here. This isn’t a tasting room. It’s a think tank with stemware.
Vale dos Vinhedos isn’t “up and coming.” It’s arriving. Ales Victoria proves Brazil can craft age-worthy, site-specific reds and whites that rival the world’s best. Spa do Vinho turns recovery into ritual—and the hotel wraps it in Tuscan elegance amid endless vines.
Book the flight. Pack light. Bring hunger—for flavor, for story, for the next great wine frontier.
Because the dark horse is running.
And it’s headed straight for your glass.
Who’s coming with me?