Lagrein Wine in Australia

This Italian red wine variety is prized for producing wines with firm tannins and good colour, particularly in its native Trentino and Alto Aldige regions of Northern Italy. It is now being used by over forty Australian producers.

Lagrein Grapes at Bassham winery ready for vintage

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In Northern Italy Lagrein is used to make varietal and blended red wines, the main blending partner is Schiava Grossa.  It is also used to make rose style wines.

The flavour of Lagrein

Here is what some wine writers say about Lagrein

More Italian red wine varieties used in Australia

Lagrein in Australia 

There are now about forty producers of wine from this variety in Australia, up from about zero at the start of this century.

The interesting thing is that although this variety hails from the cooler northern region of Italy it is being used very successfully in the warmer Australian regions of Murray Darling and Riverland.

Rita Richter of Grey Sands winery in Northern Tasmania suggests 

A  possible reason for Lagrein doing well in Riverland is that, although it comes from northern Italy where it gets snow it winter, maybe it gets pulses of high heat in summer - ie the 'continental effect'.

Bassham Lagrein, a gold medal winner from the Riverland

• 919 Wines Riverland
• Alejandro Riverland
• Amadio Adelaide Hills
• Angus Plains Estate Langhorne Creek
• Bassham Wines Riverland
• Bremerton Langhorne Creek
• Brown Brothers King Valley
• Cargo Road Wines Orange
• Chalmers Heathcote
• Cirami Estate Riverland
• Cobaw Ridge Macedon Ranges
• Conte Estate Wines McLaren Vale
• Dell'uva Wines  Barossa Valley
• Di Lusso Estate Mudgee
• Domain Day Barossa Valley
• Dowie Doole McLaren Vale
• Gisborne Peak Macedon Ranges
• Hand Crafted by Geoff Hardy McLaren Vale
• Hartz Barn Wines Eden Valley
• Heartland Wines Limestone Coast Zone
• Heritage Estate Granite Belt
• Hidden Creek Granite Belt
• Hofer Family Wines Langhorne Creek
• John Gehrig Wines King Valley
• Kangaroo Hills Macedon Ranges
• King River Estate King Valley
• La Prova Adelaide Hills
• Lazzar Wines Mornington Peninsula
• Lethbridge Wines Geelong
• Matriarch and Rogue Clare Valley
• Mount Avoca Pyrenees
• Mount Towrong Macedon Ranges
• Next Crop Wines Langhorne Creek
• Oak Works Riverland
• Paulmara Estate Barossa Valley
• Point Leo Road Vineyard Mornington Peninsula
• Salena Estate Riverland
• SAMU Riverland
• Seppeltsfield Barossa Valley
• Serafino Wines McLaren Vale
• Sirromet Granite Belt
• Symphony Hill Wines Granite Belt
• Tertini Wines Southern Highlands
• Wangolina Station Mount Benson
• Woodstock McLaren Vale
• 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, brasato  (beef braised in red wine), grilled fennel sausages or perhaps with a grilled steak with anchovy butter.

You could also try Lagrein with sharp vintage cheese, crackers and dried fruit.

You can find some wine of this variety at this online wine merchant.  you can make up your own mixed cases.  And you have the convenience of ordering from home and getting your wine delivered.

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