Tenerife, Canary Islands

On this Spanish archipelago off the coast of northwestern Africa, wine grapes grow from mineral-heavy volcanic soils. Tenerife, one of the archipelago’s seven islands, is the largest wine producer of the bunch. “Tenerife is one of my favorite wine regions in the world,” Al Mileik says. “I’m obsessed with island wines—but on this particular island, the varietals are even more interesting because most vineyards sit on pure volcanic soils.”

“Tenerife is home to Envínate, one of the hottest wine producers right now,” Bray adds. But wineries across the archipelago are producing mouthwatering fruity reds and whites, and to all four wine experts, the entire archipelago is worth traveling to just for tastings alone.

Beqaa Valley, Lebanon

Lebanon has one of the oldest traceable winemaking traditions on the planet, the origins of which date back to 7000 B.C.E. “The country has a viticultural history that stretches through Biblical times, the Roman Empire, and even into the Middle Ages—which is about when historical records began chronicling the practice of winemaking in Burgundy,” Bray notes. Even though it might seem like this Middle Eastern wine destination has been largely overlooked until recently, according to Bray, the region’s wineries “have been making waves for a long time, especially at iconic estates like Chateau Musar.” While many local vintners in the fertile region use European grapes, such as  cabernet sauvignon, carignan, merlot, and syrah, wines made with native white grapes like obeideh and merwah have made an impression on wine critics worldwide.

Abruzzo, Italy

Those interested in Italian wine have likely made trips to world-famous wine regions like Piedmont and Tuscany. But travelers looking to go beyond Italy’s well-tasted wine trail should head east toward the country’s Adriatic coast. “Right now, some of the most interesting wines are coming from the region of Abruzzo,” Bray says. “Long known for more mediocre table wine, Abruzzo producers are now owning their craft and elevating their local varieties. Established collectors may know names like Emidio Pepe, but other new winemakers like the family-owned Tiberio are putting this region on the map.”

One characteristic that distinguishes this mountainous section of central Italy from the country’s other wine regions is that it’s recognized primarily for the production of one grape: montepulciano. The resulting red wine, montepulciano d’Abruzzo, is known for being tannic, low in acidity, and extremely easy to drink. Still, a variety of fine wines—including fruity rosés and floral whites—are produced within Abruzzo’s four provinces. Consider this region Italy’s best-kept wine secret.