In an era when wine has become a global industry, wine aficionados must search for handmade quality. Artisan wines are most exciting to find when they are insider tips -- unfamiliar to international consumers and thus still in the realm of good value. Dedicated fans scrutinize wine magazines, newsletters, catalogs, auction reports and tastings to detect the latest underground buzz.

This column's mission is to share the results of our own reconnaissance. And our tip of the week? Watch for Austrian red wines, so under-recognized that even many wine professionals are barely aware of their existence.

Austria has an ancient tradition of viticulture and winemaking. In the Burgenland village of Zagersdorf, for example, grape seeds from the vitis vinifera species (used in winemaking) were found in a grave dated to 700 B.C.