Since the 1970s, there has been foreign investment from large multinationals who have introduced modern winemaking techniques and the planting of more commercial varieties such as Chardonnay, Semillon, Gewürztraminer, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot to name but a few. Most vines continue to grow well below the tropical north and do best in what is now the largest growing region, the Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil's southernmost state.