The Rising Fine Wine Regions to Watch

For much of the history of fine wine, the map was small. A handful of French regions defined greatness, and everything else was, at best, an imitation. That map has been redrawn. As the trophies of Bordeaux and Burgundy have soared beyond the reach of all but the wealthiest, collectors have looked further afield, and a new generation of regions and estates has risen to claim a place at the top table.

The most established of these challengers is Italy's Piedmont, home to the Nebbiolo grape and the great wines of Barolo and Barbaresco. Long admired but long undervalued, its finest producers, names such as Giacomo Conterno and Gaja, now command prices and reverence to rival the classics of France, and their wines have become fixtures of serious cellars. Italy's other great story, the Super Tuscans of the coast, has already made the same journey from rebellion to blue chip.

Elsewhere in Europe, Germany's Riesling has drawn a passionate following, with the sweet and dry wines of estates like Egon Müller reaching extraordinary prices, and the grower Champagnes described in our guide to the great Champagne houses have transformed how collectors see the region. The Rhône Valley, too, has moved from overlooked to sought after, and Spain, led by Vega Sicilia and Pingus, continues to gain ground.

Beyond Europe, the new world has produced wines that stand comparison with anything. California's cult cabernets are firmly established, Australia's Penfolds Grange has a long collecting history of its own, and regions from Oregon, for Pinot Noir, to South Africa and beyond are producing wines that increasingly appear at the great sales. The center of gravity in fine wine, once fixed firmly in France, has begun to spread across the globe.

For the collector, the appeal of these rising regions is twofold. There is the pleasure of discovery, of drinking great wines before the wider market catches on, and there is genuine value, since the finest bottles from these regions still cost a fraction of their French equivalents. The lesson of the past, from the Super Tuscans to Napa, is that today's overlooked region can become tomorrow's blue chip, a dynamic our guide to the wines that hold their value explores. To explore the rising regions, contact us.