Lagrein Wine in Australia

Lagrein is an Northern Italian red wine variety that has shown great promise in Australia.

This Italian red wine variety is prized for producing wines with firm tannins and good colour, particularly in its native Trentino-Alto Aldige region of Northern Italy.

The flavour of Lagrein is described as

• Sour plums with a touch of grass and bitter cherries some dark chocolate and a deep dark colour - Oz Clarke in Grapes and Wines
• Tannic, spicy, tobacco, black plums, grassy herbaceous, earthy, fragrant - Steve De Long

It is still early days for Lagrein wine in Australia, but Cobaw Ridge Winery in the Macedon Ranges have had outstanding results with the variety over several vintages.

Lagrein can be made into varietal wines but it is also used in blends. Amietta use it in a blend with Shiraz, while Ben Glaetzer has made an excellent blend of 70% Dolcetto and 30% Lagrein.

Wineries Using Lagrein in Australia

• Amadio Adelaide Hills
• Amietta Vineyard Geelong
• Antcliff's Chase Wines Strathbogie Ranges
• Bogie Man Wines Strathbogie Ranges
• Brown Brothers King Valley
• Chalmers Murray Darling
• Cobaw Ridge Macedon Ranges
• Di Lusso Mudgee
• Domain Day Barossa Valley
• Geoff Hardy McLaren Vale
• Hartz Barn Wines Eden Valley
• Heartland Wines Limestone Coast Zone
• John Gehrig King Valley
• Kangaroo Hills Macedon Ranges
• Karanto Vineyards Langhorne Creek
• King River Estate King Valley
• Lazzar Wines Mornington Peninsula
• Piako Vineyards Murray Darling
• Point Leo Road Vineyard Mornington Peninsula
• Ridgemill Estate Granite Belt
• Rossiters Murray Darling
• Serafino Wines McLaren Vale
• Sugarloaf Ridge Southern Tasmania
• Zonte's Footstep Langhorne Creek

Lagrein and Food

The Italian origin of the variety suggests Italian food but I would suggest it would go better with heartier Italian dishes such as osso bucco, carbonata (beef braised in red wine) or perhaps steak with anchovy butter. You could also try Lagrein with sharp vintage cheese, crackers and dried fruit.