Uncovering Underrated Wine Regions and Varieties

Excellent wines are produced in a vast range of wine regions home to some of the world’s highest-quality grape varieties. These grape varieties thrive in the exceptional grape growing conditions of these regions. Not all wine regions are as well known as others; finding the perfect bottle of wine can require you to go off the beaten track and consider exactly where your wine comes from.
Whether you want to take your tastebuds on an adventure or broaden your tasting experience, uncovering underrated wine regions and grape varieties can help you indulge in some tasty, undiscovered wines. Read on to learn more about the underrated grape varieties and wine regions you should know to find hidden gems to immerse your tastebuds in.

3 Lesser Known Wine Varieties and Grape Types to Consider

If you are looking for tasty wines new to your palate, there are many uncommon options. A wide range of lesser-known wine varieties and grape types create an indulgent, delicious wine-tasting experience. Consider adding these three uncommon wine varieties and grape types to your list.

Mencía Wine and Grapes

Mencía wine is less well-known than popular Spanish wines such as Tempranillo or French wines such as Cabernet Sauvignon. Its fleshy Mencía red grape variety creates a medium-bodied wine with fruity aromas that works perfectly with salted mushrooms or roasted vegetables.

Source: https://www.wineonline.ca/viernes-bierzo-mencia-by-godelia-2021.html

The Mencía grape variety is grown in the Iberian Peninsula. It is a grape with sour cherry hints, floral background notes, and pomegranate flavour profiles, and it creates a wine that ages perfectly with rich aromas. The colour and aroma of Mencía wine would not exist without the floral terpenoid or anthocyanin compounds, which come directly from the Mencia grape.

Pecorino Wine and Grapes

With a soft, indulgent texture and intensely fruity aromas, Pecorino wine is a must-try beverage if you enjoy delicious white wine. This wine may be lesser known than some of Italy’s world-renowned options, such as Pinot Grigio. Yet, it delights palates with its floral hints, silky textures, and exotic flavour profile combinations of grapefruit and pomegranate.

The Pecorino grape variety grows in the high mountain altitudes of Abruzzo and Marche, Italy. This greenish, yellow-skinned grape offers a fine acidity and creates a medium-bodied white wine that can be dry. The result is a tasty wine such as the Campotino Pecorino IGT, which you can enjoy with duck breast or herring dishes.

Source: https://www.wineonline.ca/campotino-pecorino-igt-colline-pescarese-by-tenuta-del-priore-2022.html

Vermentino Wine and Grapes

Vermentino wine typically has a fruity and floral aroma that pleases the nose. Its citrus and subtle herb-like notes are tempting and refreshing. Though this wine is not as popular as Sauvignon Blanc or the Trebbiano white wine widely enjoyed in Italy, it is the perfect accompaniment to nicoise salads, white meat, or shellfish dishes.
The Vermentino white grape is light-skinned and found in Sardinia and Corsica. Its dominant flavours are similar to lime or lemon, and a few varieties have pear-like flavour hints. It creates a crisp, fresh, and balanced medium-bodied white wine that will transport your tastebuds to Italy despite being one of the lesser-known grapes.

3 Underrated Wine Regions You Should Know

Grape varieties of lesser-known wines would be nothing without the exceptional growing conditions of their less well-known wine regions. To discover more about some of the locations where these grape varieties originate, here are three underrated wine regions you should know.

Ribeira Sacra

Ribeira Sacra, characterized by its steep vineyards, is located in Galicia, Spain. It is known for its laborious wine production due to the gradients of the hills that can reach 85%. Yet the well-positioned terraced vineyards receive plenty of sunlight, are home to a long ripening season, and have the perfect temperature variability, which creates excellent growing conditions for the Mencía grape variety.
This wine destination is also known for its dry red wines, created from red wine grapes. However, it also produces white wines such as Godello and Treixadura.

Abruzzo

The east Adriatic coast is home to Abruzzo, an underrated wine region that is mountainous, rugged, and green. Its abundant sunshine and rainfall combine to produce favourable growing conditions for the Pecorino and Sangiovese grape varieties. Its mountain air currents and diurnal variations in temperature also contribute to this region’s abundant grape production.
Although this location is not Italy’s most prominent wine region, and it ranks fifth behind Emilia-Romagna, 79,000 acres of vine-planted land is located in Abruzzo.

Corsica

The Corsica island is located between Tuscany and Provence. Its full range of grape varieties exceeds 30 different types. These grapes thrive thanks to the high sunshine levels and limited rainfall, which reduces the levels of mould infection. Granite-based and silica-rich soil types in the Corsica vineyards increase the minerality of the wines produced here.
During harvest time, the climate is perfect in Corsica. These conditions make this region the ideal location to grow and gather Vermentino and Sangiovese wine grape varieties.

Discover Wines from Underrated Wine Regions at Wine Online

Your wine sampling journey can provide a rich and satisfying tasting experience when you try lesser-known wine varieties, and you can excite your tastebuds with the options we offer at Wine Online. We stock a range of wines that originate from wine regions all over the world. No matter whether you are looking for red or white wines that are hidden gems, we have the bottles you need.
Discover wines from underrated wine regions at Wine Online. Spend $179 on crates of wine or multiple bottles to get them shipped to your door without paying for shipping costs!