OFF-THE BEATEN-TRACK

WINE REGIONS ALSO WORTH EXPLORING

ITALY ETNA

Etna Rosso, a seductive, pale-hued red, has been called “the Burgundy of the Mediterranean” and it’s attracting producers keen to try their luck on the fertile slopes of Europe’s highest active volcano. Based on local Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappuccio grapes, it’s a fresh, energetic wine – even though the vines can be up to a century old.

PORTUGAL ALENTEJO

Once upon a time, the main wine trade of this arid, sparsely populated region of southern Portugal was the supply of corks. More recently, it’s what’s inside the bottle that has wine buffs excited. Among several native red varieties, Alicante Bouschet is the standout, especially in the hands of an experienced producer like Herdade do Mouchão.

SLOVENIA PRIMORSKA

Bordering the better-known Italian wine area of Friuli, this hilly region poised between the Adriatic Sea and the Alps is home to an army of small winemakers, many doing great things with both white (rebula, pinot grigio) and red (particularly pinot noir) varieties.

ITALY VALPOLICELLA

This region of limestone valleys north-west of Verona produces the world-famous red wine Amarone, a concentrated mouthful of baked cherries and spices made from partially dried grapes. However, Amarone’s simpler, tannic country cousin, Valpolicella Classico, has come on in recent years.

FRANCE ALSACE

For most French wine aficionados, it’s Bordeaux, Burgundy and the Côtes du Rhône that divide the spoils in terms of fruit-forward red wines. That suits Alsace just fine, as the calling cards of this region on the border with Germany are its graceful whites – chief among them aromatic rieslings and gewürztraminers.