Nowadays, it seems like every place under the sun is producing wine. Indeed, it’s probably because they are. Whenever someone says that they have a bottle from North Carolina or Mexico or China, there is no second guessing them anymore.

Whether or not these odd regional wines are actually drinkable is another story. We’ve made it our mission to always give a bottle try- no matter where’s it from- because you never know when or where you’ll find that unexpected gem of a pour. It doesn’t happen often, but what does happen is that you can come across some very pleasant and inexpensive bottles. This week we’re discussing a few of the lesser known regions that are really coming along these days by producing wines that are able to compete in the international market.

Eastern Europe has been producing wine for centuries, but unfortunately because of its turbulent past, its wine industry has gone through several expansions and contractions. Neglect of vineyards and wine making facilities lead to very inconsistent quality. Also, most of the production of these regions were more focused on bulk producing quantities of wine, rather than quality. Fortunately, wine laws are being updated as well as wineries and their vineyards. The main producing countries of Eastern Europe that are making the most progress are Hungary, Romania, and Moldova.

Photo by parikha49