<p class="ingestion featured-caption">Most people haven't had the full experience of trying Serbian wine. Ljubomir Stajkic/Shutterstock</p><ul class="summary-list"><li>As a sommelier, I think more people should know about underrated <a target="_blank" class href="https://www.businessinsider.com/beautiful-wineries-to-visit-2018-8">wine destinations</a>.</li><li>Instead of only looking into Tuscany, consider visiting Lazio on your <a target="_blank" class href="https://www.businessinsider.com/things-do-differently-next-trip-to-italy-2023-10">next trip to Italy</a>.</li></ul><p>I first delved into wine while studying in Australia. I ventured to wineries in the Adelaide Hills and the Barossa Valley, and the wines I sampled were a far cry from Boone's Farm Strawberry Hill and $6 Californian "champagne."</p><p>This initial exposure spurred my serious wine pursuit in Italy. By 2009, I'd completed an 18-month program and became a <a target="_blank" class href="https://www.businessinsider.com/worst-wines-to-order-sommelier-what-to-get-instead-2024-4">certified sommelier</a>.</p><p>France and Italy are the two <a target="_blank" class href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/240638/wine-production-in-selected-countries-and-regions/">top-producing wine countries</a> in the world, so naturally, I've had delightful experiences exploring their better-known regions. But I sought diversity beyond their structured wine tourism and hospitality scenes.</p><p>In 2012, I joined the #winelover Facebook group, a platform for like-minded wine enthusiasts who arrange meet-ups and trips. My firsthand encounters via the group have eclipsed any textbook — solidifying my belief that visiting different regions is the best way to understand wine.</p><p>Here are seven of my favorite, underrated wine regions I've visited.</p>