I think the biggest thing in the wine world that is underrated is the Loire valley. And closely associated with that is chenin blanc. Id also have to vote for Beaujolais. Two regions I should put more time and money into.
I’m not the biggest Chenin fan over all but I would agree with you on the Loire Valley. Muscadet(MdB), Cab Franc and even sometimes the Sauv Blancs can be top notch wines. I’m fine with the low prices for high quality though.
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Off the top of my head,
Muscadet
Savennieres
Faugeres
Etna Rosso
Cesanese del Piglio
Bierzo
Ribera Sacra
Alto Adige Lagrein
Rueda
Jura
Savoie
Good way to start. Much to love about Loire. Price, variety, drinkability and ageability. But unknown to many.
I’ll throw out Oregon.
And I would like to continue to explore New Zealand. Could fit the bill too.
Jason
Loire reds for sure. They rarely cost more than $20, are great young, and are great at 15 years of age. Most can’t get over the green notes, however. I hate green in Cab S, but in Cab F it just works for me. Parker is a notorious non-fan. But that’s fine with me, I’d rather just as not see $150 “special cuvees” from Joguet.
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Cirò in Calabria.
WHITE Rioja
Lambrusco
German and Austrian Reds and non-Riesling/Gruner whites
Anything Swiss, because they horde it all
Loire, reds especially
Southern France - Jurancon, Bergerac, Gaillac, Roussillon
French/Spanish Pyrenees
Greece, Hungary, and the Baltic countries
French/Italian Islands - Corsica, Sardinia, Sicily
Portugese Whites
Ontario and NY
RT
Chenin Blanc from the Loire. I’m happy to have people focus on other regions, however.
Chinon - amazing cabernet franc…fortunately, still unheralded.
Definitely Loire. I’d also say New Zealand Pinot.
Lots of people whose palates I respect say this, but I just dont see the appeal vs the prices. Wines seem rather big and black fruited without much elegance. Maybe my sample is too small.
Portuguese table wines. Great for daily drinkers $10 and under.
Germany.
Even most supposed German wine geeks know but a limited geographic area and maybe two dozen names.
Mosel - outside of Mittel Mosel, still huge amount to be discovered.
Saar – Egon Müller’s one of the greatest in the world, but there’s plenty more to be discovered.
Pfalz – Hah! where to begin? Relatively few of the names known here are among the best. Need to recognize it for what it is – largely dry wine country, which may be why some second and third tier producers were promoted at the expense of the top tier. Oh, and some fab Spätburgunders.
Franken – one of the world’s greatest wine regions, yet how many know anything past Fürst and Wirsching (not to knock them by any means)
Baden – Some fabulous Spätburgunder, Weissburgunder, Grauburgunder, even Riesling and Muskateller.
Rheingau – a little behind the others, but there are things happening and a number of unknown names of first caliber.
Nahe – most of the best names are known, but . . . .
Mittelrhein – small area, but a few worth seeking out.
Württemberg – See Franken.
Rheinhessen – Once thought of as trash with a possible exception for the Roter Hang; simply the most exciting wine region in the world right now.
I can’t think of any other country where someone starting out right now can put together a first rate portfolio of producers not represented in the U.S.
Saale-Unstrut and Sachsen are sufficiently obscure that I’ll keep them to myself.
Agree with Germany too… as well as your assertion Claude that even Germany fans are not aware of many good producers. I’ve become a huge fan of German Riesling and Loire Chenin Blanc over the past three or so years (the swing in my cellar towards these two is pretty significant since that time), but I know there are so many producers that I haven’t had (and sense that there are many good ones I am not even aware of).
The shame is that it’s hard for me to find many as well where I’m at (SE Michigan), so I have to order in volume from places like NYC without trying first, which is a big daunting since my pockets aren’t THAT deep.
It’s so freaking difficult to find many examples … the sample size in the U.S. seems to be tiny. It’s like the same handful of producers, and that is quite boring, I agree …
I guess I’m surprised that Loire is eligible; in my circle it’s very highly rated. But if it’s eligible, top of the list.
Every time someone has opened something from the Jura I’ve been blown away.
And here’s some love for Blaufrankisch.
Friuli
Alto Adige
Loire
Of course it’s just taste, but I think that New Zealand Pinot is more overrated rather than under. I’ve had a lot of the wines, I’ve spent time there (working) and tasted quite a lot, and I’d say New Zealand’s undiscovered wines are more aromatic whites than Pinot. Just my $.02.
Kind of hard to come up with a good answer to the question because every region is underrated by somebody, except for the Southern Rhone which is overrated by everybody and should be turned into a parking lot. The Loire shouldn’t qualify - sure, the mainstream press disses it but it still has a fanatical following. So the criteria I’ll use are wines that fly below the radar and remain unappreciated even by the people you would expect to love them. My #1 nominee in this category is always xinomavro from Greece. If pineau d’aunis, aglianico, and poulsard have their followings, this should too. I think I would also put lagrein and teroldego on the list because while they have their fans, they haven’t made any inroads among the people I think would enjoy them most - pour Foradori Granato for someone who likes recent Pape-Clements and other big, scorched-earth Bordeaux, and I think you’ll make a fan. I’d also add Gideon Bienstock’s wines at Renaissance and Clos Saron. Only a tiny proportion of the people bitching that there aren’t enough classic, low-alcohol, earthy/minerally, grand cru-quality wines in California have tasted these. Their loss. Then Finger Lakes riesling and Franconian sylvaner. I’m sure I’m forgetting some.