Serra Gaucha is a Brazilian wine region in the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul, where Brazil meets Uruguay. Its name is apt: the landscape here is characterized by low mountain ranges (serras) and populated by gauchos, the cowboys of the Brazilian Pampas.
Small landholdings of just a few hectares are the norm in Serra Gaucha, which makes co-operative winemaking almost a necessity. The cost of buying and maintaining winemaking equipment is considerable, so local vignerons pool their resources and invest in shared, co-operative wineries (a practice which has proved very successful in southern France and various parts of Italy). It was through similar collaborative efforts that a group of Serra Gaucha winemakers successfully campaigned for the creation of Vale do Vinhedos DO, Brazil's first wine appellation.