This month’s theme:  Lesser-Known Gems of the Old World

The “Old World” in wine refers to the places where modern winemaking traditions originated — European countries like France, Spain, Italy, and Germany, as well as lands around North Africa and the Mediterranean such as Corsica and Croatia. These familiar regions are the birthplaces of some of the most commonly-known grapes, like cabernet sauvignon from France or tempranillo from Spain. But there are so many other wines to be found in these iconic locales, made from grapes you may have never heard of (do xarel-lo, babic, or altesse sound familiar?). These are the lesser-known Old World gems we’ll be exploring in June.

This month’s curator: Liz Martinez of The Royce, Detroit

Liz Martinez is a certified sommelier who has honed her craft at top restaurants across Chicago and Detroit. After building up wine lists at restaurants like Detroit's Prime + Proper with a deliberate focus on diverse, lesser-known wines — think Portuguese, Greek, Croatian, and Lebanese — and earning Sommelier of the Year from Food & Wine, Liz is now selecting wines at the Royce Detroit, a downtown wine shop and bar that’s become an essential for the city’s drinkers.