As we enter a new year it’s important to know that not every new year’s resolution that we set for ourselves must be a tedious one. In fact, it is important to set some fun ones that allow us to discover new enjoyments.
Why not try to discover new, lesser-known wine regions? Wine is made around the world, and there are over 10,000 wine varieties in the world.
Surely there is a region that you may be missing as your new favorite. Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered. I’ll discuss some of my favorite lesser-known regions in the world and what they produce so you will be on your way to discovering your new favorite wine!
Etna Rosso, Sicily, Italy
This region is one of my favorites. Etna Rosso is a wine that focuses on light body wines that balance a beautiful representation of earth within them. This is no surprise, considering that these wines are grown in the shadow of Mount Etna, a still active volcano. Generations of families have been creating wine from this region for a long time, as is true with most of Italy. Here you get a rich wine that is made to be paired with food, especially pork and poultry. I always get balanced cherry, candied orange peel, and terracotta from these amazing wines.
Santorini, Greece
Now, this is a small region. Santorini is a small island in the southern Aegean Sea, about 70 miles north of Crete. The island is the remnants of a sunken volcanic cone. You may have seen photos of it before, the Greek island with the white buildings with all the blue roofs, bingo that’s the one. The island is so dry that the tap water is salty, and most of the actual drinking water is imported. Here is the home of the most famous Greek white varietal, Assyrtiko. These wines are beautiful and my personal favorite wine to pair with seafood. They can be unoaked, oaked (Nykteri), or made into a sweet wine (Vinsanto). All have amazing notes of vibrant fruits like pineapple, lemon Brule, and even maraschino cherries on the sweet version. Worth a try.
Margaret River, Australia
This region is nestled within the most southwestern corner of Western Australia. Margaret River is known for making delicate wines that resemble the balance of European wines more so than the rest of Australia. There is a ridge called the Leeuwin-Naturaliste ridge that allows this region to have gneiss and granite deposits as well as iron-rich laterite soils. These provide amazing complexity to wines grown in this region. Keep an eye out for deeply balanced cabernet sauvignon, rich dark gamey Shiraz, lemon grass focus Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc, and in my opinion one of the best citrus expressions of chardonnay in the world.
Tokaj, Hungary
Lastly this is my favorite dessert wine region in the world, and home to the nectar that has come to be known as simply the “wine of kings.” This region is surrounded by wetlands and rivers, as well as a local climate controlled by the Zemplen Mountains. This allows a lot of water vapor to be in the air in this region, creating something very important: Noble Rot (Botrytis cinerea). This is a fungus that develops in most conditions and dries when the some comes out, rotting and drying the grapes causing them to become shrivel and sweet. The wine is made from these grapes that have additional sweetness and flavor compounds such as ginger, honey, and saffron. The most coveted liquid form of Tokaj is called Eszencia, which is the first squeeze of these grapes. This liquid is as sweet and thick as syrup and is enjoyed by the spoonful. It can also age upwards of 200 years. This is truly the nectar of the gods.
Please try some of these wines from these regions and continue to explore other regions around the world. There are so many different grapes and areas with a rich history of winemaking, who knows, your new favorite wine might be hiding out there, find it.
Hunter Ham
Porters House Sommelier