Enotourism is a burgeoning travel subcategory with roots in the notorious 1976 Judgment of Paris, when the then-emerging Californian wines beat France in a blind tasting.

In 2017, Silicon Valley Bank reported that 60 per cent of American wine sales are at cellar doors, and Tourism Review noted tourist spending on food and wine in Italy increased 70 per cent between 2013 and 2017. Numbers like that make it easy to see why emerging regions are making an effort to market themselves as wine destinations.

But consumers in mature wine markets are on the lookout for more. If the Judgment of Paris did anything, it proved there was more to explore than Bordeaux.

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“I think … we are intrinsically wired to explore new things and this includes wine,” says Charlotte Gundry, executive officer for the Orange Region Vignerons Association, in New South Wales, Australia. Gundry points to social media as a factor in broadening our horizons and convincing modern consumers to stray from favourite brands or regions on occasion.

Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong head sommelier Hubert Chabot agrees. “I think we all have become more open-minded about the wine market, especially the younger generation who is excited to explore new wine regions.”

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Economics plays a part for consumers, too. “Hong Kong is at a mature stage in [its] wine business. To have a new regional wine stand out, quality and value are the keys to success,” says wine director for The Landmark Mandarin Oriental, John Chan, arguing quality is key in the HK$500 (US$65) to HK$1,000 range.

For wines in emerging regions, relatively low production volumes can hamper competitive pricing. It is hard to convince buyers to try an unknown at HK$1,200. “In terms of value, in this segment, emerging regions might face challenges in standing out.”

Not all emerging wine regions come with a steep price tag, however. Producers are often willing to price at entry-level rates, particularly at cellar door. “Given that the prices of some old world wines have increased so much that not many people can afford it, it’s a good and practical reason for the market to shift to new wine regions,” says Chabot.

So where should wine lovers head if they’re looking for something a little different? Orange, less than four hours from Sydney, is gaining international traction for its cool climate/high altitude shiraz and chardonnay.

“Not only are our wines stacking up from a quality point of view, but our region showcases a sophisticated combination of great food and wine culture and is one of the most beautiful and thriving regional areas in New South Wales, if not Australia,” says Gundry.

Orange is accessible and welcoming, with an “abundance of restaurants and cellar doors [making] it a great weekend escape from Sydney,” adds Gundry. Four distinct seasons set it apart from the Barossa and McLaren Vale, and grapes grown at an altitude of above 600 metres give Orange wines uniquely elegant signatures despite varietal.

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“After the popular regions from Portugal – Douro, Alentejo, Dão and Vinho Verde – I would say new regions like Barraida would give the wine world a different impression of Portuguese wine,” Chan says. Located just inland from the Atlantic coast, the region produces intense, tannic Baga, Castelão and Rufete reds, but has struggled to shed a legacy of fraud dating back to the 18th century when the wine was passed off as port, as that drink gained popularity in the United Kingdom.

With a wine tradition that predates the Romans, Slovenia is among the best examples of discovery through enotourism. With more than 90 per cent of its wine production consumed at home, Slovenia is Europe’s sleeping wine giant. Bordering Italy’s northeast corner, Slovenian viticulture has much in common with Friuli Venezia Giulia next door, but an Italian refosco and a Slovenian refošk could not be more distinct.

Among the stars of its primary Drava, Lower Sava and Littoral regions are the nutty, white zelen, an indigenous grape almost wiped out in the last century but saved by a consortium of Slovenian producers, and robust teran reds from the Karst area’s terra rosa.

In the same way California had to prove itself to the world, secondary wine regions in the US continue to struggle for approval. Washington state’s Walla Walla region is arguably the Columbia Valley’s rising star, but head south and west for a truly surprising taste of Texas.

Wine from the Lone Star state is a hard sell – and they know it – but with the Spanish and Germans settling half the state, a wine tradition should not come as a surprise. The Texas High Plains AVA (the American equivalent of France’s AOC) and its high, dry terroir is producing some of the world’s best viognier, a fickle grape usually blended because of its tricky nature.

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Finally, heading further south to Patagonia, Neuquén and Río Negro are home to some of the world’s most southerly vineyards.

While most closely associated with its cold desert, the vineyards along the region’s eponymous rivers, filled with water from the Andes, produce complex and acidic wines due to long growing seasons. The pinot noir from both regions is consistently stellar, but it is the unconventional crisp and mineral sauvignon blanc that is making critics and enthusiasts take note.

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