I’m not entering any of these into the nerd olympics, but I like dry Furmint a whole lot and would highly recommend trying a bunch if you haven’t already. I also really like Kerner as a grape, having had several excellent - and good value - examples from Sudtirol/Alto Adige.
I think that the wines some California producers are making out of Charbono, Mission, and Tocai Friulano (aka Sauvignon Vert) are often interesting and tasty.
These were really something wonderful, among some of the most interesting wines I’ve had from Chile. Bought some awhile back, but have drunk all of them already.
Furmint is great, but also already inching its way to the mainstream slowly. I’ve found that when it comes to Hungarian wines, Hárslevelű is often more interesting than Furmint - although some of the best single-vineyard Furmints can be quite exceptional as well. However, the title of the best Hungarian grape variety goes effortlessly to Juhfark. The best ones are simply outrageously good.
I’ve never really understood Kerner. There are some pretty great Kerners, but very rarely I’ve found them to be anything truly interesting - and all too often they are quite average. However, they still tend to be better than the Rieslings produced in Südtirol-Alto Adige!
Coteaux Champenois qualify?
Plus, it has the advantage (to you) that only speakers of a Finno-Ugric language will have any idea how to pronounce it! 
Well, I’m not entirely sure. Us Finns have the benefit that for the most part we have the same sounds as Hungarian, so compared to English-speakers we might have it easier when it comes to pronouncing Hungarian!
However, we have only umlauts, not the accents that are numerous in Hungarian! Furthermore, the pronunciation rules are very weird to anyone not familiar with Hungarian (including us Finns), so attempting to pronounce Hungarian words without any idea how they should sound will most likely end in a catastrophe (fortunately Furmint and Juhfark are pretty easy compared to many other Hungarian varieties, like Királyleányka or Pécsi Cirfandli). Those who are interested - and if I remember correctly - Hárslevelű was pronounced either like hush-level-oo or hash-level-oo. Or it might be both, depending on which part of Hungary one comes from!
Nevertheless, I find it easier to guess how English words I’m unfamiliar with are pronounced correctly than attempting to get a Hungarian word right at first go! ![[snort.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/b/bdc3944606213c4dca6c1169cf0a166c8bc4f8c9.gif "snort.gif"){kind=small}
Excellent set of suggestions. Musar is a great intersection of offbeat/geeky/distinctive but also just flat out great wine. Also good value for the cost.
For one stop shopping of some really cool, old, nearly forgotten grape varietals, try Sabelli Frisch. It’s a wine that you’ll want to keep on hand and bring out either when you want something that’s different or you have some wine nerd friends over.
I’m not sure if it’s weird enough in the glass, but Koshu Gris from Japan can be really good. It’s a unique Japanese White grape. I’m opening a bottle tonight in fact.
Paging the part-Hungarian Greg Tatar!
Do you have any recommendations? My wife loves the one made by Maitia (Carignan blend) and we love the fresh style of that bottling. Would like to try some more for sure.
See posts #20 and #22.
We sell J. Bouchon, and the Salvaje and Viejo are both really good renditions. I prefer the Salvaje, and haven’t gotten to try the mutated Pais Blanco yet. I think they make a Blanc de Noir, but have never seen it in US.
John has a couple above too.
Here are two of my favorites & a book worth reading if you want to try obscure.
1. NV Bartlett Estate Oak Dry Blueberry (I think it’s the best wine made in America for under $25) They can age for decades & it’s my personal ![[soap.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/a/a7ea1fffd3ef237e8f19d17a83270ad8452218ca.gif "soap"){kind=small}
here of Wine Berserkers. * I consider myself a close friend of Bob & Kathe Bartlett. I often find myself thinking of them as extended family. They are just wonderful & amazing people…so I may be biased. Other forum members that have tasted these wines include: Doug Schulman, Rajiv Ayyangar, & anyone that was at the Boston PGC Etzel Block Vertical).
2. Chateau Musar Red, white, or rosé…the wines are in a league of their own. As in…I can’t think of another producer that I can see myself confusing with their wines when tasting them blind. They are singular…
From Portugal, Encruzado from Dao, Baga from Bairrada, Colares, Carcavellos.
1993 Overnoy Arbois Pupillon
More seriously, I second Musar and add mondeuse from the Savoie.
Well, maybe wines from Alto Adige are not nerdy enough, but I have a Jones for them. I really like Kerner.
Colares has been mentioned already, and that would be my number one choice. Not sure if Jura vin jaune qualifies…
Had a bottle in Kofu. Think we preferred the Sake.
How about Lagrein and Schiava from Alto Adige.
Can’t say there’s much geeky there.
They can be enjoyable little wines, but ultimately they are pretty foursquare local reds that aren’t particularly distinctive nor rare. Especially with Schiava it’s hard to find a bottle that would be particularly interesting.
Encruzado and Baga wines are often terrific, but in my books quite mainstream. Colares, on the other hand, is quite deep in the geek territory and Carcavelos a real Portuguese holy grail nowadays.