Sometimes we wish we could go back in time and scoop up all the great wines that were once cheap and plentiful because they were unappreciated.

Less than a decade ago, for instance, you could... Read More

Sometimes we wish we could go back in time and scoop up all the great wines that were once cheap and plentiful because they were unappreciated.

Less than a decade ago, for instance, you could find Overnoy and other wines from the Jura for practically nothing. And the Northern Rhône? Oh man! You could find great Cornas like Marcel Juge and Noël Verset for very reasonable prices.

Of course, those ships have sailed. But the world of wine is big, and we still find under-the-radar places where great wine is made. Hungary is a place especially blessed with great vinous history and a plethora of diverse, special terroir. We keep finding beautiful wines of integrity and individuality there, and at very attractive prices.

The wines of Peter Wetzer are a perfect example. Wetzer works naturally but his wines are super clean and pure. They have impressive intensity of flavor and finesse, and a twist of smoky minerality that expressed the volcanic soils in which Wetzer farms.

It's pretty encouraging to see natural wines (the grapes are even foot-trodden!) that offer this level of terroir articulation—and at very reasonable prices.