There’s nothing more romantic than staying in a winery when visiting the vineyards at the Vinhedos Valley, south of Brazil. With breathtaking views, good gastronomy, fun experiences, and many glasses of wine to enjoy, Vinhedos Valley in the Gaucha Mountain Range is one of Brazil’s most sought-after wine tourism destinations.
The Vinhedos Valley region was the first region to be recognized as a Geographical Indication in Brazil and is composed of 3 municipalities:
- Bento Gonçalves, where most of the tourist attractions are;
- Garibaldi, known as “the national capital of sparkling wines;
- Monte Belo do Sul, the largest per capita producer of grapes for fine wines.
The grape harvest is the most popular season and usually takes place between the end of January and mid-March. Check out the best hotels in wineries or hotels with wine experiences in Vale dos Vinhedos.
Wine Hotels in Vinhedos Valley, Gaúcha Mountains, Brazil
Hotel e Spa do Vinho, Autograph Collection
The most famous and desired winery hotel in Bento Gonçalves. It bears the distinctive mark from the Marriott group and is fully embracing the wine-related culture. Refinement and sophistication in spa services by Caudalie with wine-based treatments in the VINO.SPA, swimming pools, saunas, five-star accommodations, three restaurants (the Leopoldina Restaurant is one of the top-rated within the area), tastings, and all this in front of the Miolo winery, in the heart of Vinhedos Valley.
Among the many experiences, you can take a balloon ride or even make yourself a wine. You will also have the biggest wine cellar within a hotel in Brazil that has more than 660 wine labels and a capacity of 40.000 bottles. In addition to wine-related experiences, the hotel also offers other rural tourism activities for people who like being in the middle of nature, such as rock climbing, rafting, and hiking.
Hotel Villa Michelon
The Villa Michelon, in Bento Gonçalves, was constructed in 2001 on an area that covers 23 hectares and has hosted the opening of the grape harvest in recent years. The hotel is home to 57 accommodations and has a multi-sports and leisure park, an events center, memorial space, and a restaurant. Additionally, the hotel has a model vineyard and a Wine Memorial, with a collection of items utilized in the grape harvest and wine-making process from the colonization period.
Vinícola e Pousada Peculiare
In the winery complex at Peculiare, the hotel has three large suites with a Jacuzzi and a breathtaking panoramic view of the Vinhedos Valley. The breakfast is highly praised. In addition to the hotel, the winery is home to the Osteria del Valle restaurant, which offers tastings and paired dinners. The program includes a tour to learn about the winemaking process and a tasting session with the winemaker and owner of the winery.
Villa Valduga
If you have a large vineyard, why not create a hotel in the winery? Casa Valduga went further and created not only one but five lodges on its property: Storia, Gran, Identidade, Leopoldina, and Raizes. Thus, the first wine tourism complex in Brazil, implemented in 1992, and the lodges were named in honor of the wines made by Casa Valduga.
Storia, for example, is a label produced only in exceptional vintages and is a limited edition. The lodge with the same name, constructed in basalt stone, is exclusive, having just three rooms. Also, in basalt stone, the Gran Lodge is home to seven suites, utilizes the designation to distinguish the top sparkling and premium wines made in the winery. Apart from the beautiful scenery, the resort offers tours to the underground cellars, courses, and harmonized culinary experiences at the Maria Valduga restaurant.
Vinícola e Pousada Terragnolo
The Pousada Terragnolo is a fascinating choice for a hotel for families within the winery. There are only five suites (named in honor of the grape varieties). The most luxurious one is Chardonnay that has two beds (a double bed and a single with the option of adding an extra one) and a glass-fronted window that overlooks the vineyards. Pousada Terragnolo, which blends modernity with rural tourism in a region with lush greenery, also provides spa services and a relaxing glassed-in balcony overlooking the valley.
Vinícola e Pousada Don Giovanni
Don Giovanni is a wine-gastronomic complex featuring a winery, restaurant, and lodge in Pinto Bandeira, next to Bento Gonçalves, and is known for producing quality sparkling wines. The hotel has eight rooms – seven in a 1930’s manor house and one cabin, with a beautiful view of the vineyards. Guests can enjoy a serene tour around the winery and experiences such as paired dinners or picnics among the vineyards.
The harvest season is when the special program includes tasting of wines that are still making their way through the process, in which you can follow the dégorgement, the traditional French and almost final step for the making of sparkling wine using the champenoise method where the top of the bottle which contains the sediments from the fermentation method, is frozen and then cut.
Botte di Vino
How about sleeping inside a wine barrel? This is the kind of experience provided in the Pousada Botte di Vino in Garibaldi. There are just three chalets, all built out of older wine barrels. With capacities of 50 thousand, 80 thousand, and 105 thousand liters, these barrels have been used over the years to produce wines and juices from grapes at the region’s wineries. Small and family-owned, the wine hotel serves breakfast at its chalets which are equipped with a kitchen and living room, a bathtub, and a balcony overlooking the garden.
Pipas Terroir
Bento Gonçalves also has its thematic wine tourism accommodations for guests who want to sleep in a wine barrel. Pipas Terroir has four barrels converted into chalets with balconies that allow guests to spend their holidays out in nature in a different way. Besides the unique experience of sleeping inside a wine barrel, guests are received with Vinotage Merlot bath amenities and can enjoy the hotel’s vineyards.
Pousada Borghetto Sant’Anna
Pousada Borghetto Sant’Anna combines wine tourism and rural experiences with comfort, privacy, and peace in harmony with nature. It also resembles the romantic Tuscany region, with Italian colonial-style architecture and décor. There are only eight lodgings with suites and lofts, each with balconies to enjoy the stunning view from Vinhedos Valley. This wine hotel is located at the beginning of the Winery Route, ten minutes away from Bento Gonçalves downtown, and was awarded TripAdvisor “Traveller’s Choice” certificate in 2020/2021. However, it only welcomes guests older than 12 years old.
