Wine Underdogs — Great wine doesn't have to be famous

An editorial guide to lesser-known wines

Why underdogs

I started Wine Underdogs because the same handful of grapes kept crowding out hundreds worth drinking. Great wine doesn’t have to be famous — it just has to be honest, and a little overlooked. I taste what I can and chase down the rest, so you can find your next favorite.

Read the full story →

Field notes

Latest from the journal

Fresh tastings and deep dives into the grapes that deserve a wider audience.

View all →

Underdog GrapeCannonau

ItalyWU

Cannonau · Sardinia, Italy

If You Drink Grenache, You Should Be Drinking Cannonau

Cannonau is Grenache with a Sardinian accent: the same grape Spain calls Garnacha, grown in isolation into something more savory, and sold for a fraction of the fame.

July 25, 2026

Underdog GrapeAntão Vaz

PortugalWU

Antão Vaz · Alentejo, Portugal

Antão Vaz: The Alentejo White With a Chardonnay's Weight

If you like Chardonnay for its body, Antão Vaz gives you the same weight and ripe fruit for less money — a sun-fed white from southern Portugal with real texture.

July 24, 2026

Underdog GrapeArinto

PortugalWU

Arinto · Bucelas, Portugal

Arinto: Portugal's High-Acid Answer to Riesling

If you love Riesling for its cut and its lemon-and-stone tension, Arinto is the Portuguese white you have been missing. Same electric acidity, a fraction of the hype.

July 24, 2026

About

Notes from Chris Berry

Founder, taster, and full-time champion of the world’s overlooked grapes — from Portugal’s Alentejo to the cellars of Georgia, Armenia, and the Italian Alps.

More about Wine Underdogs

1 / 5

Great wine doesn’thave to be famous.

Latest from the journal

If You Drink Grenache, You Should Be Drinking Cannonau

Antão Vaz: The Alentejo White With a Chardonnay's Weight

Arinto: Portugal's High-Acid Answer to Riesling

Notes from Chris Berry

What do you pour most nights?