12 Underrated Wine Regions Worth Exploring
Stop overpaying for Bordeaux and Napa. These hidden gem wine regions produce exceptional bottles at prices that won't make you wince.
Everyone knows Bordeaux, Burgundy, Napa, and Tuscany. They’re famous for good reason.
They’re also expensive for the same reason.
Here’s the thing: some of the most exciting wines today come from regions most people have never heard of. While you’re paying premium prices for familiar names, savvy drinkers are discovering exceptional bottles from places that don’t command prestige markups.
Ready to drink better wine for less money? Let’s explore.
Why Underrated Regions Offer Better Value
Famous wine regions charge for their reputation. A bottle from Burgundy or Napa includes a “name tax” that can double or triple the price compared to equivalent quality from a lesser known area.
Underrated regions compete on what’s actually in the bottle. The math works in your favor:
| Region Type | What You’re Paying For |
|---|---|
| Famous regions | Wine + reputation + scarcity + tourism |
| Underrated regions | Mostly just the wine |
Portugal’s Hidden Gems
Dão
While everyone focuses on Port and Vinho Verde, Dão quietly produces some of Portugal’s most elegant reds.
The grapes: Primarily Touriga Nacional, the same noble variety behind great Port.
What to expect: Floral aromatics, bright acidity, fine tannins, medium body. Think Burgundy prices for wines that can rival Burgundy elegance.
Why it’s underrated: Overshadowed by the Douro Valley. Dão lacks international marketing despite decades of quality winemaking.
Producers to try: Quinta dos Roques, Casa de Santar, Álvaro Castro.
Price range: $12 to $30 for excellent wines.
Alentejo
Portugal’s vast southern region produces generous, fruit forward reds that consistently overdeliver.
What to expect: Ripe, approachable wines with plush fruit. The warm climate guarantees consistent quality year after year.
Why it’s underrated: Perceived as simple table wine country. But quality producers are crafting serious, age worthy bottles.
Producers to try: Herdade do Esporão, Cortes de Cima, João Portugal Ramos.
Greece: The Comeback Story
Greek wine suffered from decades of bad reputation, left over from oxidized, poorly made bottles that tourists endured. That era is over.
Nemea
Home to the Agiorgitiko grape, Greece’s most planted red variety.
What to expect: Medium bodied reds with cherry fruit, soft tannins, and food friendly acidity. Think lighter Merlot with Mediterranean character.
Producers to try: Gaia Estate, Skouras, Domaine Tselepos.
Price range: $12 to $25.
Santorini
Volcanic soils and the Assyrtiko grape create mineral driven whites unlike anything else on Earth.
What to expect: Bone dry, searing acidity, citrus and sea salt minerality. These wines can age for years.
Why it’s underrated: Tourists drink it on the island but forget to seek it out at home.
Producers to try: Sigalas, Argyros, Hatzidakis.
Southern France: Value Central
Languedoc Roussillon
Once France’s bulk wine factory. Now home to ambitious producers making serious wines at bargain prices.
What to expect: Mediterranean reds with warmth and generosity. Aromatic whites. Incredible value across the board.
Why it’s underrated: The industrial past lingers in reputation even as quality has transformed. This is no longer your grandmother’s cheap table wine.
Producers to try: Mas de Daumas Gassac (the “Lafite of the Languedoc”), Domaine Gayda, Gérard Bertrand.
Price range: $10 to $30 for wines that taste like $30 to $60.
Cahors
Southwest France’s “black wine” region. This is where Malbec originated before Argentina made it famous.
What to expect: More structure and earthiness than Argentine Malbec. These are age worthy wines with real depth and complexity.
Why it’s underrated: Argentina claimed Malbec’s fame, leaving Cahors, the grape’s actual homeland, forgotten.
Producers to try: Château Lagrezette, Château du Cèdre, Clos Triguedina.
Côtes du Roussillon
Where the Pyrenees meet the Mediterranean. Old vine Grenache and Carignan create powerful, characterful reds.
What to expect: Concentrated, rustic, packed with dark fruit. These are wines with personality.
Producers to try: Domaine Gauby, Olivier Pithon, Clos des Fées.
Eastern Europe: The New Frontier
Slovenia
Bordering Italy, Slovenia produces world class whites from varieties like Rebula (Ribolla Gialla) and Malvasia.
What to expect: Textured, complex whites. The orange wine movement has roots here, but conventional whites are equally impressive.
Why it’s underrated: Small production and limited export mean few people have tasted these wines. When you find them, buy them.
Producers to try: Movia, Simčič, Edi Simčič.
Republic of Georgia
The literal cradle of winemaking. Georgians have been making wine for 8,000 years, often in traditional clay vessels called qvevri.
What to expect: Unlike anything else. Amber/orange wines with tannic structure, dried fruit, and wild character. Red wines are equally distinctive.
Why it’s underrated: Unfamiliar winemaking techniques and hard to pronounce names. But once you try Georgian wine, you don’t forget it.
Producers to try: Pheasant’s Tears, Iago’s Wine, Lapati Wines.
Croatia
The Dalmatian coast offers indigenous varieties you won’t find anywhere else.
Key grapes:
- Plavac Mali: Structured reds, related to Zinfandel
- Pošip: Crisp, aromatic whites
- Graševina: Clean, fresh whites (same as Welschriesling)
Why it’s underrated: Tourism hasn’t translated into wine exports. Yet.
Producers to try: Zlatan Plenković, Saints Hills, Bibich.
South America Beyond Argentina and Chile
Uruguay
Tannat, originally from southwest France, found a second home here and became Uruguay’s signature grape.
What to expect: Dark, tannic, intense. Uruguayan versions are softer than French originals while retaining the grape’s power.
Why it’s underrated: Argentina and Chile dominate South American wine conversation. Uruguay is the quiet achiever.
Producers to try: Bodega Garzón, Bouza, Familia Deicas.
Argentina’s Salta
Everyone knows Mendoza. Fewer people know Salta, where vineyards climb above 2,000 meters elevation, among the highest in the world.
What to expect: Intense, concentrated wines. High UV exposure at altitude produces thick skinned grapes. Torrontés whites are aromatic and distinctive.
Producers to try: Colomé, Piattelli, El Esteco.
South Africa’s New Wave
Swartland
A quiet revolution happened here. Young winemakers embraced old bush vines and minimal intervention, creating some of South Africa’s most exciting wines.
What to expect: Complex, textured wines from old vine Chenin Blanc, Grenache, and Syrah. These are wines with soul.
Why it’s underrated: Stellenbosch dominates export markets. Swartland is where the cool kids drink.
Producers to try: Mullineux, Sadie Family, AA Badenhorst.
Elgin
Cool climate whites that rival European benchmarks.
What to expect: Elegant Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc with bright acidity and mineral character.
Producers to try: Paul Cluver, Richard Kershaw, Iona.
Spain’s Secret Corners
Ribeira Sacra
Steep terraces along river gorges in Galicia. Heroic viticulture in dramatic landscapes.
The grape: Mencía produces fresh, mineral, elegant reds.
Why it’s underrated: Difficult terrain limits production. The region is hard to visit. But the wines are finding their audience.
Producers to try: Raúl Pérez, Guímaro, Dominio do Bibei.
Jumilla
Old vine Monastrell (Mourvèdre) at surprisingly low prices.
What to expect: Dense, dark, packed with fruit. These are serious wines that happen to cost $12.
Producers to try: Casa Castillo, Juan Gil, El Nido.
How to Explore Underrated Regions
Start with one region. Buy three or four bottles from the same area. This builds understanding of regional character rather than scattered impressions.
Find a good wine shop. Staff at quality shops love introducing customers to hidden gems. Ask specifically for recommendations from lesser known regions.
Look for importers who specialize. Certain importers (Kermit Lynch, Terry Theise, Louis/Dressner) focus on discovering underrated producers.
Use Sommo. Scan wines from unfamiliar regions. Track what you enjoy. Build knowledge systematically rather than randomly.
Accept some misses. Exploring means occasionally finding wines you don’t love. That’s the cost of discovery. The hits make up for it.
The Best Part: The Prices
You’re not paying for name recognition. You’re not subsidizing tourist infrastructure or prestigious auction results. You’re paying for what’s actually in the bottle.
A $20 wine from Dão or Languedoc often drinks like a $50 wine from a famous region. That’s the math of underrated wine.
Start exploring. Your wallet (and your palate) will thank you.
Photo by instant photos on Unsplash
