Wine is grown all over the world. Here are some wines from lesser-known regions.

Washington State

The irrigated desert regions of Washington State Columbia River Basin produces surprisingly high quality wine. Winemaking is relatively new here, but the Washington Wine Quality Alliance, a sort of industry cartel, enforces the strictest wine quality and labelling standards in the United States.

Two large producers dominate nationally distributed Washington wines: Chateau Ste Michelle and Columbia Crest, both in the Columbia Valley. Chateau Ste Michelle in particular is known for award-winning fine wines, such as their "Eroica" Riesling, a collaboration with Dr. Loosen of Germany.

Red Hogue Cellars, Merlot 1999 (Columbia Valley, Washington)
Moderately spicy, some smoky oak flavor. A bit weak and muted.
$18 / bottle

White Hogue Cellars, Late Harvest White Riesling 2001 (Columbia Valley, Washington)
Strong peach and apricot juice flavor with very light tangerine. Sweet. Light dessert wine style.
$9 / bottle

White Chateau Ste. Michelle, "Eroica" Riesling 2001 (Columbia Valley)
Very sharp and crisp, with strong floral and apricot flavors and hint of grape skin and mineral. Very dry, very high acid, lively mouthfeel. Very lively.
$21 / bottle

White Chateau Ste. Michelle, Johannisberg Riesling 2001 (Columbia Valley, Washington)
Extremely fruity, with grape, apple, pear, pineapple flavors. Very good.
$12 / bottle

Red Columbia Crest, "Grand Estates" Merlot 1999 (Columbia Valley, Washington)
Soft tannins, very strong wood spice. Simplistic.
$10 / bottle

Oregon

Oregon's wine industry is relatively young, but they are establishing a good reputation for Pinot Noir. Most wine is grown in the Willamette Valley.

Red Argyle, Pinot Noir 2000 (Willamette Valley, Oregon)
Light fruit with firm tannins, with oolong tea, mint, and very light earth. Pleasant.
$18 / bottle

Red Elk Cove, Pinot Noir 2001 (Willamette Valley, Oregon)
Well balanced but tangy. Sharp fruit over salad greens. Dances on the tongue.
$22 / bottle

Indiana

Indiana definitely isn't wine country; the summers are too humid and the winters aren't friendly. That doesn't stop a few producers from trying. Many Indiana wineries import some of their grapes from outside the state to help meet demand and to make varietals that do not grow well in Indiana.

Red Oliver, Merlot 2002 (USA)
Very round and juicy fruit, with mild smoky peppers. Very soft, young, and excessively fruity.
$19 / bottle

White Oliver, "Creekbend Vineyard Estate Bottled" Chardonel 2002 (Indiana)
Tangy and fruity, with a short buttery finish. Like a sharp but simplistic chardonnay.
$17 / bottle

Canada

In high-end wine, Canada is best known for ice wine.

White Jackson-Triggs, "Proprietor's Reserve" Vidal Icewine 2002 (VQA Niagara Peninsula)
Dense (but not overwhelming) sweetness with phenol, apricot, and nectarine notes. Hints of tropical citrus or pineapple in an ever-shifting fruit blend.
$19 / 187ml

Chile

Chile is an up and coming wine region, and is gaining great market penetration in the lower end fine wine market in the US (including the ubitquitous Concha y Toro varietal wines). Recently, Chile has attracted a great deal of interest from French winemakers and investors (their growing season is complementary with France's), and within a decade or two may start producing competitive world-class wines.

White Casa Lapostolle, Sauvignon Blanc 2001 (Rapel Valley)
Very fruity, apple and pineapple flavors, fairly strong acid, short finish, and a touch light.
$9 / bottle

Red (oops) Cabernet Franc Carmenere 2006 (Central Valley)
Dry but fruity, with strong grassy and herbacious notes. Mild but plentiful tannin.
$10 / bottle

Red Los Vascos, Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 (Colchagua)
Plump plummy fruit with ripe cherries and bell peppers. Very soft and smooth tannins, with a hint of smoked cheese. Delightful and unusually sophisticated for its price point.
$9 / bottle

Red Concha y Toro, "Casillero del Diablo" Cabernet Sauvignon 2003 (Central Valley)
Very biting, sharp grass and crunchy pepper, with moderate flavors of roses and other flowers in the finish. Almost no fruit. Bone dry. An ambitious attempt.
$9 / bottle

Red Casa Viva Pinot Noir 2002 (Casablanca Valley)
Dark currant flavors with moderate tannin and bloody mouthfeel.
$7 / bottle

Red Casas del Bosque, Cabernet Sauvignon 2001 (Cachapoal Valley)
French-style, smooth and very full-bodied, tobacco and berry flavors, huge nose, heavy oak. Good buy.
$9 / bottle

Red Casas del Bosque, Reserve Pinor Noir 2003 (Casablanca Valley)
Bright cherry flavors over light wood. Young and fruity.
$12 / bottle

Red Los Vascos, Cabernet Reserve 2001 (Colchagua)
Earthy tannins, smooth but moderately astringent and very muted fruit.
$16 / bottle

Red Hacinda Araucano, Cabernet Sauvignon 2003 (Colchagua Valley)
Bold with smooth tannin, bloodlike and astringent.
$12 / bottle

Red Carmen, Carmenere 2003 (Rapel Valley)
Grassy and stemmy tannins over plump fruit.
$5 / bottle

Argentina

Argentina has one of the highest per capita wine consumption rates in the world. However, they aren't very well known for producing top quality wine. This situation may or may not change in the coming decades. Argentina's specialty varietal is Malbec, which tastes vaguely like Merlot or Cabernet.

Red Bodega Weinert, "Cavas de Weinert" 1997 (Mendoza)
Very fruity, fairly intense, spicy flavors. Numerous hints of blackcurrant, berry, leather, and other complex flavors. Cabernet Saivignon - Malbec - Merlot blend.
$18 / bottle

South Africa

During the Apartheid era, it was politically impossible to get South African wines in the United States. Now that Apartheid has ended, Americans are slowly being introduced to South African wines.

White Glen Carlou, Chardonnay 2000 (Paarl)
Medium intensity, very dry but very buttery texture, strong oak and vanilla flavors, with a medium to long oak finish. Regal.
$15 / bottle

White KWV, Steen 2003 (Western Cape)
Plain, crisp acidic fruit, with pear and citrus and a tropical nose. Balanced and refreshing but extremely simplistic.
$7.50 / bottle

Red Urbane, Shiraz 2003 (Western Cape)
Dense red fruit with moderate wood and smoky essences, almost Spanish.
$8 / bottle

Austria

Austrian wine has the misfortune to live in the shadow of Germany, but they grow certain varietals (especially Gruner Veltliner) that the Germans do not focus on.

White Undhof Salomon, "Hochterrassen" Gruner Veltliner 2001 (Kremstal, Niederosterreich)
Soft impression, slightly yeasty flavor, off-dry, and a very short finish. Light pear and melon flavor, Very light even for white wine.
$10 / bottle

White Weingut Allram, Gruner Veltliner 2002 (Kamptal)
Sharp with very smoky flavor. Grill-like.
$16 / bottle

Romania

Red Vampire, Pinot Noir 2002 (Regas / Transylvania)
Dark cherry and plum fruit. Smooth but a little thin.
$8 / bottle

Bulgaria

I'm told that Bulgaria is actually a pretty big source for wine. Unfortunately it isn't always the best stuff.

Red Brezovo Winery, Mavrud 2004 (Tracia Valley, Assenovgrad Region)
Moderate tannin with stemmy texture and flat fruit.
$9 / bottle

Armenia

Red Proshyan, "Pomegranate" Semi-Sweet Red NV (Armenia)
Sweet grape and raisin, with light tannins.
$8 / bottle

Hungary

Red Egri Bikaver, "Bull's Blood" 2001 (Hungary)
Minimal fruit. Smoky, tannic, stemmy, and harsh.
$4 / bottle

Moldova

Red Granat, "Stradivari" 50/50 Cabernet/Merlot Off-Dry 1998 (Trifesti / S Moldova)
Cloyingly, almost artificially sweet, with round blackberry and grape juice over wood. Violin bottle.
??

Greece

The ancient Greeks must have drunk great quantities of wine to see the strange things they did to name our constellations. Unfortunately, many centuries of Byzantine, Ottoman, and other foreign rule have all but erased the ancient traditions. The Greek wine industry has been making strides in putting itself back together and rediscovering the old ways over the last few decades.

Greek wine are made primarily from obscure local varietals. This gives Greek wines a uniqueness that the common international varietals can't do. One of the most common Greek wines is retsina, which is made with grape and pine resin, giving it an unusual flavor.

The Greek wine laws define several levels of quality, typical of most EU wine regulations. They are

White Boutari, "Dionysos in Winter" Moschofilero 2001 (OPAP Mantinia)
Smooth and buttery, with bright apple flavors, lively fruit and flowers, and mineral. Slightly green, with faint melon and spice, and a medium crisp finish. Pleasantly surprising.
$13 / bottle

White Boutari, Retsina NV (OKP)
Watery, with strong camphor and pine essence. Unpleasant.
$5 / bottle

Lebanon

Red Chateau Kefraya, Red (Cabernet / Mourvedre / Carignan / Grenache) 2000 (Bekaa Valley)
Dark plums and dates, with moderate oak and hints of leather, tar, and tobacco. Very heady and astringent, meaty and substantive.
$20 / bottle

Israel

White Yarden White Riesling 2003 (Galilee Region)
Prominent and sharp fruit with moderate floral tones, refreshing crispness, long finish.
$14 / bottle

Red Barkan, Petit Syrah 2004 (Dan)
Straight fruit with extremely lively mouthfeel and firm tannin.
$11 / bottle

Red Dalton Cabernet Sauvignon 2002 (Galilee Region)
Strong forward and spicy fruit with green peppers. Light wood treatment. Smooth. Strong varietal characteristics in the California style.
$24 / bottle

Morocco

Red Les Trois Domaines, Guerrouane Rouge 2003 (AOG Meknes)
Zesty fruity and spicy attack with little finish.
$10 / bottle

Sparkling

Sparkling Banfi, Brut (Metodo Traditionale Classico) 1997 (Piedmont, Italy)
Effervescent, prominent toasty beer-line yeast flavor. Smooth and creamy, with light pear and citrus flavors. High acid, long finish.
$18 / bottle

Sparkling Segura Viudas, Cava Brut Reserva NV (Penedes, Spain)
Coarse texture, rather light and simple grape and citrus flavors. Somewhat acid and rather simple.
$9 / bottle

Sparkling Chateau Frank, Brut 1997 (Finger Lakes, NY)
Very effervescent, low acid, very buttery bread and toast flavors, medium finish.
$20 / bottle

Sparkling Chandon, Carneros Blanc de Noirs 397 NV (Carneros, Napa Valley)
Effervescent, intense fruit and toasty yeast flavor. Prominent grape and citrus with berry fruit.
$20 / bottle

Sparkling Mumm, Carte Classique Extra Dry NV (Riems, Champagne)
More delicate, wine-like flavor. Extremely lively cherry and strawberry fruit flavor, balanced acid, and bread-like yeast. Excellent mouth feel. Superior.
$44 / bottle

Sparkling Moet & Chandon, White Star NV (Riems, Champagne)
Very sharp and tart, with clean fruit and a touch of yeast.
$30 / bottle