Cave Geisse

The Geisse winery is unique among our suppliers in that its owner, Mario Geisse, is from Chile. Back in 1976 he left his native country, where he had been Master Winemaker at the Casa Silva winery, to manage Moët & Chandon’s Brazilian operations. Then in 1979 he left to set up his own business, which he had always intended would produce sparkling wines.

After spending several years exploring potential sites for his vineyard, Mario chose a wonderfully scenic area known as Pinto Bandeira in the Vinhos de Montanha (‘Wine Mountains’ ), around 8km to the northeast of Bento Gonçalves. The site lies at an average 800m altitude, is well drained and enjoys plenty of sun – in other words, near perfect for small scale sparkling wine production.

Since 1979 Mario Geisse and business partner Carlos Abarzua, and their respective sons, have focused solely on the production of Traditional Method wines, from just two noble grape varieties: Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. This disciplined approach, coupled with a refusal to chase volume production, are characteristic of their quality-driven business.

Another interesting aspect of the company is its employment practices. Rather than hire an individual worker, they employ his or her whole family. Geisse builds a house specifically for each family, at no cost to them, but in return is rewarded with that family’s labour in and around the vineyard.

These ethical and sustainable practices can also be seen in the vineyard itself (which totals around 80 htrs): for example, the use of pesticides and herbicides is kept to a minimum, with thermal pest control being a notable technique: tractors, with large fans mounted on either side, drive between the rows blasting hot air at the foot of the vines, drying the ground nearby and so reducing the of incidence of mildew and pests.

In recognition of both the quality of the Trad Method wines produced by Geisse and three neighbouring wineries, together with the uniqueness of their terroir, this small group was in 2023 awarded DO status: indeed, theirs is the first and only DO awarded uniquely for sparkling wines anywhere in the southern hemisphere, and follows a 10 year struggle for recognition! The full designation is ‘Denominação de Origem de Altos de Pinto Bandeira’.

Geisse is Go Brazil’s longest standing supplier and the largest of our Traditional Method sparkling wines. Now, in 2024, we stock some 9 labels, from the excellent entry-level Amadeu range through to their Nature Terroir and also some aged Magnums. The most recent addition is the Amadeu ‘Laranja’, a Chardonnay-based sparkler which enjoys extended skin contact and lends the wine its distinctive orange/amber colour. No dosage is added, so the wine is super dry but rounded at the same time, showing intriguing dried fruit and citrus flavours.

How to Buy

Private buyers should view our selection below or go our SHOP, while trade buyers should email: nicholas@gobrazilwines.com