Forget France, these exciting wine regions around the world are worth the sip

Think you know the wine world? It’s time to redraw the map.

For centuries, Burgundy and Tuscany have set the standard, their names synonymous with quality and prestige. But a wave of smaller, surprising regions is producing award-winning bottles that rarely cross borders, making travel to high-altitude vineyards in Yunnan, China — and even a coral atoll in French Polynesia — the only reliable way to sample these under-the-radar grapes.

Several forces are reshaping where great wine is made. Climate change has nudged viable growing zones north, permitting grapes to ripen in places once considered too cool, while scientific advances and daring viticulture techniques, like hybrid grapes and soil mapping, let wineries create bottles in the tropics, leading to a proliferation of “new latitude” wines from outside the traditional 30 degrees to 50 degrees latitude belt.

At the same time, consumer curiosity and improved infrastructure — boutique hotels, better roads and wine-centric tours — are turning remote estates into accessible destinations. Add ambitious foreign investment and a generation of winemakers eager to experiment, and you get a global renaissance of regional styles and reinterpretations of classic Chardonnay and Merlot.

Many of these wines are crafted in limited quantities for domestic markets or restaurants. But traveling to emerging wine regions transcends the pursuit of rare bottles. It’s an immersion in local culture, landscape and history. You might find yourself in a Georgian wine cellar unsealing egg-shaped qvevri — a type of ancient vessel used for fermentation — or in South Africa sharing dinner with a third-generation winemaker.

From beachside vineyards in Thailand to the Chinese highlands, wine’s new frontiers promise not just fresh flavors, but something increasingly rare in our globalized world: genuine discovery. If you’re ready to expand your palate, book a flight to these unexpected regions.

China

In Yunnan, Tibet’s gateway, monks chant over vines brought by French missionaries in the 1880s in hopes of a fruitful harvest. Their prayers seem to be working. In recent years, the province — home to prestigious estates like LVMH’s Ao Yun — has become one of China’s most talked-about wine regions.

In 2025, Songtsam Resorts reimagined one of its retreats, Lodge Cizhong, as a boutique wine hotel, equipped with a tasting room and an oak barrel cellar full of the brand’s first wine, a fragrant Chardonnay. “Today, the region is often called ‘Asia’s Bordeaux,’ ” said Florence Li, Songtsam’s vice president and director of international sales and marketing. “The vineyards sit at high altitudes along the Lancang River Valley, where intense UV exposure and cool temperatures slow ripening and create wines with remarkable complexity, structure and freshness.” Guests can tour Songtsam’s vineyards and even try their hand at wine farming.

South Africa

With a viticulture history that dates back to the 17th century, South African wine is hardly a secret. Yet its best bottles, made by a new wave of winemakers who concentrate on terroir and sustainability, rarely make it to the United States.

Some of the most exciting tastings are at Reyneke, the country’s first certified biodynamic wine farm, and rising star Van Loggerenberg Wines, whose fragrant Geronimo Cinsault helped lead the grape’s revival. To fully immerse yourself in South Africa’s wine culture, book a stay at Spier, a historic Stellenbosch winery with a fresh focus on regenerative farming and a stylish hotel that’s the buzz of Cape Town. Don’t have time to leave the city? Wine bars like Tannin and Leo’s offer impressive menus dedicated to small-batch local favorites like Savage Wines.

French Polynesia

Few places challenge the conventions of winemaking quite like French Polynesia, where grapes must be transported from the vineyard by boat. On the remote island of Rangiroa, Domaine Dominique Auroy produces Vin de Tahiti, the world’s only wine grown on a coral atoll.

There, vines are planted in soil enriched with compost made from algae and ground-up vine shoots, proving that thoughtful experimentation and scientific expertise can yield terroir-driven wine even when you’re more than 2,000 miles from the mainland. Book a tour of Vin de Tahiti’s winery or head to the island’s azure lagoon with a bottle of dry white or rosé for an alfresco tasting like no other.

The country of Georgia

“With an 8,000-year history, Georgia is the world’s oldest continuous winemaking nation, predating traditional European wine regions,” said Ruso Chochishvili, cofounder and owner of Kapistoni Winery. Despite its small size, Georgia boasts over 500 indigenous grape varieties.

Don’t know where to begin? Nikoloz Pataridze, cofounder of Vinoveli, suggests starting in Kakheti. “It’s the heart of Georgian winemaking,” he said. During your trip, be sure to sample qvevri wines made in large clay vessels buried underground for fermentation and storage. The ancient technique was officially recognized by UNESCO in 2013 as a significant cultural heritage practice.

Mexico

Long known for tequila and mezcal, Mexico has gradually built a reputation as a serious wine destination. Nowhere is this more evident than in Valle de Guadalupe, a sun-drenched region that produces 90% of the country’s bottles.

There, warm days are cooled by Pacific breezes, creating a Mediterranean-like climate well suited to cabernet sauvignon and merlot. Design-forward hotels, including the new Banyan Tree Veya, and a slew of Michelin-starred restaurants cement the area as Mexico’s answer to Napa Valley.

England

England’s wine scene has exploded in recent years, driven by a warming climate and a surge in domestic interest for those who don’t feel like hopping on the Chunnel for an afternoon tasting.

Many of the top wineries are concentrated in southeast counties like Kent, Sussex and Hampshire, where chalky soil and gentle hills mirror those of Champagne and create ideal conditions for Chardonnay and pinot noir, the grapes traditionally used in French sparkling wine. Even Taittinger has invested in the region, creating the UK’s first subterranean winery one hour by train from London.

Uruguay

One of the world’s smallest wine-producing countries, Uruguay often gets overlooked in favor of neighbors Argentina and Chile. But the nation has been rapidly gaining ground as a destination for premium, Atlantic-influenced wines thanks to an industry-wide shift away from high-yield farming toward innovative, small-scale production.

“First-time visitors should try Tannat, Uruguay’s flagship red, along with Albariño, which thrives in the Atlantic climate,” said Nicolas Bonino, marketing director at Bodega Garzón. For a complete gastronomic experience, don’t miss dinner at BG, where legendary Chef Francis Mallmann serves as culinary director.

Thailand

Thailand may be the only country on Earth with a vineyard that has an on-site elephant sanctuary — but that’s not the only reason to visit. “Thailand is where tradition meets the tropics,” said Suppached Sasomin, lead winemaker at Monsoon Valley, a vineyard outside the beachside town of Hua Hin.

“We take the elegance of Old World grapes and give them a ‘Thai heart’ — intense sun, unique terroir and a flavor profile specifically designed to dance with the world’s most famous spicy cuisine.” Further north, where the elevated terrain of Khao Yai provides the cooler conditions needed to cultivate grapes like syrah, chenin blanc and tempranillo, you’ll find the birthplace of Thailand’s modern wine industry and a favorite weekend destination for Bangkokians.

Australia

Stateside we’re finally getting wise to Australia’s most prominent wine destinations, from the lush Barossa Valley to Margaret River, where grapes grow next to eucalyptus forests. But many of the country’s most exciting wines still fly under the radar — including those made in Mudgee, a quaint region with a town of 15,000 people located a few hours outside of Sydney.

“You can think of Mudgee as Sonoma meets Southern Italy with good old small-town Aussie charm,” said winemaker David Lowe of Lowe Wines. Much like Sonoma, Mudgee experienced a mid-19th-century gold rush that drew people inland and kick-started its wine industry. Today the area boasts over 25 tasting rooms and vineyards, many of which feature bold, slow-aging reds such as Zinfandel. Enjoy a tasting and sample Mudgee’s famed local produce at Lowe’s onsite farm-to-table restaurant Zin Food + Wine House, helmed by David’s wife Kim, then sleep next to the vineyards at Shed by Zin.