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

New Mexico

Red Vivac, Barbera 2004 (New Mexico)
Big earthy nose with smoky leather and barbeque flavors. Moderate tannins and limited fruit.
? / 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

United States

Here's the catch-all for wines made from a mix across state lines and therefore cannot recieve an appelation other than USA.

Red Manischewitz Concord Grape NV (USA)
Incredibly sweet but still a touch bitter. Fairly vile.
$3 / bottle

Red Kedem Concord Grape NV (USA)
Sweet and juicy, but somewhat hollow. Soft grape juice. Not vile.
$4 / bottle

Sparkling Baron Herzog, American Champagne Brut NV (USA)
Dark apple and yeast flavors. Large soda-like bubbles. Unimpressive.
$11 / 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

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 Conquista Malbec 2006 (Mendoza)
Lots of smoke, barbeque, wood, potpourri, chocolate, and other flavors forward but unexpectedly short finish and thin body.

Red Terroso, Malbec 2006 (Mendoza)
Forward plummy fruit and moderate wood. Heady. Soft tannins and medium body.
$11 / bottle

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.

White Balkan Hills, Muscat 2005 (Targovishte)
Tastes like a generic white, more like a pinot grigio than a muscat. Dry with some citrus and the faintest hint of melon.
$7 / bottle

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.
??

Georgia (Former Soviet Republic)

White JSC Kindzmarauli, Tsinandali Dry White NV
Flat mouthfeel, odd barnyard scents and flavors.
$10 / 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

Morocco

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