Where is the new hot wine going to come from? What will be the next Napa? The next Barossa Valley? Everyone has their speculations, public and private, big and small. Jancis Robinson has recently made hers:

Waitaki, New Zealand
Vale do São Francisco, Brazil
Limari­, Chile
Santa Rita Hills, California
Queensland, Australia
The Upper Agly Valley, Southern France
Philadelphia, South Africa

This is a great list. Mostly because I haven’t heard of most of them. Who knew, for instance, that there was a serious wine region in Brazil?

The Wine Spectator’s recent issue highlighted another region that I’ve had my eye on for some time: The Minervois. Part of the larger region of the Languedoc-Roussillon (to which the Upper Agly Valley belongs), this small area makes great wines of Syrah, Grenache, Carignan, and several other less well known varietals.

My friend Lenn over at Lenndeavors would certainly never speak to me again if I didn’t include Long Island as an up-and coming region.

I think we have a lot more to hear from certain areas of Washington State, in particular the Red Mountain appellation.

Finally, I think Greek wines are going to undergo a bit of a renaissance as they ditch the retsina, capitalize on their old vines, and start marketing globally.

Up-and-coming is, of course, completely subjective. There’s always going to be someone who insists that any region is already mainstream, or will never be.

What would you add to the list?