Top 10 Hidden Gems at Waitrose Cellar: Best Underrated Wines

Waitrose Cellar is the supermarket you’ll often find us touting at WinesDirect, not only for its excellent quality and championing of independent wineries over the mass brands, but also for its exceptional exclusives and exciting gems from lesser-known regions. Find yourself a hidden gem, and you are truly paying for the wine alone rather than a premium on branding or regional perception.

With Master of Wine Xenia Ruscombe-King hand selecting their range, you can be sure that there is real quality to be found. Whether you are building a mixed case or looking to try something new this summer, I hope that you’ll find that adventurous spirit and find a wine that truly surprises you and changes your perception of what wine can be.

Orovela Saperavi

Country - Georgia

Region - Kakheti

Grape Variety - Saperavi

A limited-production wine from the ancient wine region of Kakheti, where wine has been made for thousands of years. Saperavi is a bold, inky, black grape that punches harder than Malbec and has great fruit intensity.

You’ll find blackberry and cherry lead the fruity palate forward as the wine evolves into a savoury delight with a smoky, lingering finish. Tannins are ripe and the body is medium-high. This is an incredible BBQ wine that is just waiting to be discovered by all Malbec lovers.

Puklavec & Friends Sauvignon Blanc Pinot Grigio

Country - Slovenia

Region - Podravje

Grape Variety - Sauvignon Blanc & Pinot Grigio

Slovenia is another ex-socialist country that is only recently proving itself as an excellent wine producer, which was somewhat limited under Yugoslave rule when wine was nationalised and mass-produced. Puklavec favours approachable wines that appeal to the lighter modern-styled wine palate drawing on the natural aromas and flavours of their grapes.

This blend leans into the cool climate style with elderflower and grassy aromas exploding into a vibrant citrus palate. It’s a very good refreshing summer white that’ll go superbly with seafood and salads.

Zierfandler Heinrich Hartl

Country - Austria

Region - Thermenregion

Grape Variety - Zierfandler

Austria’s Thermenregion is south-west of Vienna and aptly named due to the warming winds that come across from the flat Pannonian plain. Zierfandler is a local specialty that few have heard of but few forget.

A citrus driven aromatic variety, it is bright with lemon and lime leading, enlivened by a gentle spice and zesty finish. It’s a distinct wine that introduces you very well to Austria’s unique whites.

Sorcova Pinot Noir

Country - Romania

Region - Banat

Grape Variety - Pinot Noir

Sticking with Europe, this Romanian Pinot Noir is truly surprising. Pinot Noir, the king of black grapes, usually associated with Burgundy and sky-high prices, is one of the most plentiful varieties in the world. The Romanians do a rather good job of it too.

This is a gentle style of Pinot Noir, focused on preserving the bright red fruits and acidity of the grape. Spiced cherry and plum bring out a pleasing fruity combination, whilst the acidity creates a fresh finish. Wine critic Jane MacQuitty put this in her top 100 Summer wines list.

Trius Vidal Icewine

Country - Canada

Region - Ontario

Grape Variety - Vidal

There’s just something very special about icewine that everyone should experience. This one is made on the banks of Lake Ontario from the award-winning Trius winery. If you don’t know, icewine is made by picking the grapes off the vine once they have frozen, which allows them to remove the water in ice form, concentrating the wine down to a heady mix of flavour compounds, sugar, acidity and flavour intensity. And remember, dessert wine is not just for Christmas!

Enjoy rich, luscious honeyed apricot and peach with tropical fruit and citrus woven in between. The acidity balances the sugar beautifully, and it is a real expression of sweet fruit purity. If you are really looking to treat yourself, you can even add a little to your fizz!

Thymiopoulos Atma Xinomavro

Country - Greece

Region - Naoussa

Grape Variety - Xinomavro

Based in northern Macedonia, Thymiopoulos is a family-led winery that has been at the forefront of Greek wines’ reputation in the past couple of decades. Xinomavro is the most popular Greek red wine on the market, and is quite versatile in style, being either like a Barolo or French Pinot Noir.

This one leans into the bright berried Pinot Noir with redcurrant, raspberry and forest fruits taking center stage. It is smooth with fine tannin and a nice savoury note that develops mid palate, making it a fine food wine.

Waitrose Loved & Found Braucol

Country - France

Region - Southwest France

Grape Variety - Braucol

The entire Waitrose Cellar Loved & Found range is interesting, whether it is a region or grape variety you’ve never heard of that is nearing extinction, it is an incredible range to really educate yourself about the forgotten gems of the wine world.

This Braucol is a bold but gentle red with a mix of red and black fruit flavours, given complexity by a nice peppery lift, reminiscent of good Rhone reds. Tannin is soft, yet flavour is intense making it approachable yet warming.

Audrey Wilkinson Winemaker's Selection Chardonnay

Country - Australia

Region - Hunter Valley

Grape Variety - Chardonnay

The Hunter Valley holds a special place for me, after an exceptional wine tour on a trip to Sydney. The Hunter boasts an incredible number of medals for its relatively small size and is definitely a region you’re missing out on if you don’t know it. Sadly, it is not all that well exported, but production isn’t all that large!

Usually, I’d recommend a Semillon from the Hunter Valley, as that is probably its greatest asset. But this Chardonnay is more than deserving of a top spot. It is a classic warm climate Chardonnnay but I think it just has that much better value for money. Fresh and juicy, with apple, peach and pear flavours lifted by a judicious use of oak adding vanilla and nutty flavours. It’s Chardonnay done right.

Domaine Paul Blanck Auxerrois Vieilles Vignes

Country - France

Region - Alsace

Grape Variety - Auxerrois

Made from old Alsatian vines, this Auxerrois is produced at low, concentrated yields to create a rich, flavoursome wine. Prevalent in Alsace, Auxerrois is closely related to Chardonnay, and often blended with Pinot Blanc in Alsace, where the wines are simply named Pinot Blanc. Chances are you’ve tried it in a blend if you enjoy Pinot Blanc. Here’s your chance to see what it does solo.

Rich and rounded, it is savoury, mouth filling and possesses lots of depth with a mineral backbone. Slightly honeyed and aromatically fragrant with acacia notes and exotic fruit, it’s a full white worthy of sipping for enjoyment.

Camel Valley Brut

Country - England

Region - Cornwall

Grape Variety - Seyval Blanc, Chardonnay & Pinot Blanc

It would be a shame to have a wine list without fizz. Whilst English sparkling is pretty well known by this point, and arguably not a hidden gem anymore but a celebration mainstay, there are elements about the Camel Valley that make it stand out. Firstly, it’s from Cornwall, the warmest region in the UK which has an impact on the flavours that develop. And secondly, the traditional Champagne Chardonnay meets the less commonly used Champagne variety Pinot Blanc and the completely non-French Seyval Blanc.

So, despite being made like Champagne, it is unique and extremely well-regarded. Offering up toast, cashew, peach, lemon, honey and cream soda on the palate, it is a fizz with depth and complexity yet perfect summer freshness.

These wines are all extremely good value by virtue of the laws of supply and demand. The less known it is, the less it costs, but the better it has to be to stand out. By stepping outside the usual regions and exploring lesser-known styles, you can discover bottles that offer better value, more character, and something genuinely different.

Get off the beaten track and surprise yourself today. We’ve got a couple of tips below too.

How to Find the Best Hidden Gems at Waitrose Cellar

Want to keep exploring? To get the most out of your shop:

• Use their regional, country and grape filters and look for the ones you have never heard of in the wine world.
• Enjoy the browsing. Scan beyond the first page which usually has the most popular wines at the top.
• Look out for their 25% off events so you can experiment without worrying about price. To check if they have an offer on, visit our 25% off wine offers page.
• Pair your favourites with a few new wines each time.
• Check out their Loved & Found wine range here for a selection of great value, unique wines.