Grape Variety: Lagrein

Colour: Red

Lagrein is a grape variety native to the valleys of northern Italy in the Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol region, north of Bolzano, near the border with Austria. It is used in red wine and is a relative of the Syrah grape.

The first citation of this grape variety dates to the 17th century. Its development has been attributed to the Benedictine monks of the Muri monastery at Gries in the province of Bolzano. Apparently, “Lagrein” derives from a German translation of “Lagarina,” the name of the valley in which it is most extensively grown.

Lagrein is a big beast although it can be produced in a lighter style and make aromatic rosés. “Thanks to artisanal producers like Hofstätter and Georg Ramoser, I’m even becoming masochistically fond of Lagrein, the idiosyncratic indigenous red grape that looks as dark as Petite Sirah in the glass and tastes kind of like bitter zinfandel. Ask for it if you want to impress your wine store owner or your sommelier”.
Jay McInerney

Untermosenhof Lagrein from Ramoser has leather and tobacco on the nose, plum-cake, dark red cherries and bitter chocolate on the finish. The Riserva is even more intense: known as Lagrein Dunkel or Scuro (i.e. dark Lagrein). Dark red, extractive bitter flavours of coffee, plumskin and toasty oak, lashings of pepper and dried spice, abundance of tannin. Before you pour it into your glass let it tarry briefly in a decanter or a jug, then tuck into venison with red cabbage or ham and sauerkraut…