Pizzato / Fausto

The Pizzato family winery traces its origins in Brazil to 1879, part of a wave of emigration from NE Italy which has come to define modern Brazilian winemaking.

Pizzato Vinhos & Vinhas (to give the full company name) originally made wine in Brazil from Bonarda, a red grape variety whose vines had been brought over from their Italian homeland. Curiously, it was a doctor at the local hospital who started to prescribe the wine as treatment against typhoid!

Much later, in the 1960s, the business relocated to its current address in the Vale dos Vinhedos – the ‘Valley of the Vineyards’. However, the wines produced at that time were either destined for re-sale to other, larger wineries and cooperatives (e.g. Aurora – see above) or retained for family consumption. The modern company, still family owned, was founded in 1998 and the first vintage followed in 1999. For this reason Pizzato’s flagship wine, a single varietal Merlot, was named ‘DNA 99′.

Now, in the 2020s, plantings are owned outright by the family, while the winemaking is in the hands of fifth generation Flávio Pizzato (voted Brazil’s ‘Winemaker of the Year’ in 2020). While best known for his red wines, he also produces a range of very high quality sparklers together with several whites, e.g. Semillon and Chardonnay. It was back in 2011 that Go Brazil first launched three of his reds on to the UK market but since then we have imported at least a dozen labels, across all the main categories.

The family have two vineyards: the larger, around 26htrs, in the Vale dos Vinhedos just outside Bento Gonçalves, and another 19htrs. in Cotiporã, some 40km to the northwest. The former has the older vines (20yrs+) and produces Reserva quality wines, while the latter produces the winery’s second label, ‘Fausto’. (Please note Fausto wines are available in the UK exclusively from our partners at Novel Wines).

Look out too for Pizzato’s stylish labels: well designed and usually colourful, they stand out well on the shelf! All bottles are individually numbered and supplied with a natural cork closure.

Click this link to view Drone Footage of Pizzato’s main vineyard.

How to Buy

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