Bottles of Wine Under $25 That Taste as if They Cost Twice That

One freezing night last month, I sipped several red blends alongside a spicy beef stew studded with olives. The price of the best-tasting bottle—$7—stunned me, but its source didn’t: Portugal.

I’m addicted to tracking down wine bargains (maybe you are, too) and this European country is my new hot spot for exciting, wildly underpriced reds and whites that have authentic character. What’s not to like about fresh, savory whites and delicious, plush-textured reds made by talented winemakers from more than 250 exotic native grape varieties? And that value?