8 Unexpectedly Awesome Wine Regions

It's easy to be blinded by the stars. In the world of wine, you might argue that this is especially true, where the superstar regions of France, Italy, California, and such reign over the market like an "A" crowd of popular high school jocks and cheerleaders. But what about the industry's other, lesser-known wine-producing regions, the relative "freaks and geeks"? The super-niche and cult-cool, popular among their own kind, but equally deserving of more widespread attention.

No one is saying that these regions are necessarily new to the game — just consider the vines of Spain's Canary Islands, which were introduced in the 15th century. Nor is it to say that they have not yet garnered critical acclaim, as India's wines did just a few years ago in a piece in The New York Times. Just that if they are not yet on your radar, they certainly should be.

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