EN 
PT_BR 
There is one day a year when Brazilian wine comes together to get to know itself. Winemakers, producers, professionals from different links in the chain, and enthusiasts gather around the same glasses to discover what a new vintage has to say. This moment is the National Wine Evaluation, which reaches its 34th edition on October 17th in Bento Gonçalves (RS), consolidated as the biggest event for Brazilian wine and the largest tasting of wines from a single vintage in the world. Promoted by the Brazilian Association of Enology (ABE), the Evaluation combines technical knowledge, celebration, and camaraderie to present the country with a diagnosis of the 2026 vintage.
And there is a fundamental difference that helps to understand its importance: the National Wine Evaluation is not a competition. There are no medals for the samples evaluated, nor is there any intention to elect the best wine. Its purpose is to technically examine the entire production of a vintage and identify what best represents it. Year after year, this process records transformations, advances, characteristics, and the growing diversity of Brazilian viticulture.
In 2026, this survey encompassed 558 samples from 83 wineries across ten states and the Federal District. Bahia, Espírito Santo, Goiás, Minas Gerais, Pernambuco, Paraná, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina, and São Paulo, in addition to the Federal District, are represented, composing an increasingly broad panorama of national production.
From winery to glass.
To construct this diagnosis, there is a technical process that begins long before the major event. Samples are collected by ABE directly from the wineries, taken from the containers where the wines are still being produced or stored, and subjected to the same identification, transport, and storage protocol. This procedure ensures traceability and equal conditions and constitutes one of the foundations of the Evaluation's credibility.
After the collection, it's time for the wines to speak for themselves. Between September 1st and 4th, 109 winemakers participated in the Selection Tasting. For four days, the 558 samples were evaluated blindly, without any information that would allow identification of brand, winery, or origin. Based on the professionals' scores, the 301 TP4T wines most representative of each category of the 2026 Vintage were defined.
The result remains confidential. From this set, 16 samples were chosen to be served simultaneously to the public on October 17th. The identity of each wine also remains unknown during the tasting and will only be revealed at the end of the event, along with the complete selection results.
According to the president of ABE, oenologist Mário Lucas Ieggli, it is precisely this combination of technical rigor and sharing that makes the Evaluation a unique moment for national viticulture. “The Evaluation was born from the commitment of oenologists to look technically at each harvest, but throughout its history it has also become the great meeting place for Brazilian wine. We are not looking for champions. We are seeking to understand and present what the harvest produced that is most representative. And being able to share this result with producers, professionals and enthusiasts is what makes this moment so special,” he emphasizes.
When the sector finds itself
If there is a great deal of technical work behind the Evaluation, on October 17th it takes on another dimension. The analysis also gives way to celebration. It is when those who plant, produce, elaborate, research, communicate, market and appreciate wine occupy the same space. The Evaluation has become, over more than three decades, one of the rare moments capable of bringing together different generations of oenologists and representatives of the entire wine industry around the same vintage. In 2026, this significance is even greater: ABE celebrates 50 years of a trajectory built by oenologists and dedicated to the technical development of viticulture and the appreciation of Brazilian wine.
The 16 samples will be tasted simultaneously and discussed by guests from Brazil, Portugal, Chile, Italy, Georgia, and Uruguay, bringing together different professions, experiences, and ways of perceiving wine. The 16th seat among the commentators will have a special meaning: it will be occupied by a person drawn from among the audience.
Following the announcement of the harvest, the gathering continues in a spirit of camaraderie. Starting at 9 pm, a cocktail reception featuring Brazilian wines and sparkling wines brings producers, winemakers, professionals, and enthusiasts even closer together. This is when the world's largest tasting of wines from a single vintage fulfills its purpose: after technically evaluating Brazilian wine, the sector celebrates, together, another chapter in its history.
There's still time to join.
The National Wine Evaluation is open to the public, and tickets are still available for those who wish to experience it. You don't need to be an oenologist, sommelier, or work professionally in the sector. The invitation is for everyone who appreciates wine and wants to witness firsthand the unveiling of the 2026 vintage.
The event begins at 4 PM with registration and kit collection. The official opening will be at 5 PM, followed by a guided tasting of the 16 samples. At 9 PM, the closing cocktail party will begin. Tickets cost R$$ 650 for ABE members and R$$ 750 for the general public and include the tasting, cocktail party, personalized crystal glass, tasting notes, a copy of the Brazilian Journal of Viticulture and Enology 2026, and a digital certificate of participation.
THE COMMENTATORS
BRAZIL
Daniela Ungaretti – Journalist
Eduardo Lira – Businessman
Eduardo Sartori – Sommelier
Fábio Góes – Winemaker
Henrique Gudde – Doctor
Jaqueline Mendes Cilo – Journalist
João Valduga – Winemaker
Leandro Bortholacci – Radio broadcaster
Maria Luiza Sevieri – Businesswoman
Vanessa Leite – Nutritionist
PORTUGAL
Pedro Félix – Executive
CHILE
Felipe García – Winemaker
ITALY
Andrea Miceli – Winemaker
GEORGIA
André Baader – Wine Hunter
URUGUAY
Eduardo Boido – Winemaker
It will be raffled off among the audience.
SERVICE
34th National Wine Evaluation – 2026 Vintage
Date: October 17, 2026, from 5 PM to 12 AM
Location: Bento Gonçalves (RS)
Tasting: 16 representative samples from the 2026 harvest.
Tickets: R$ 650 for ABE members | R$ 750 for the general public
Sales: Brazilian Association of Enology (ABE) website – www.enologia.org.br
