Lagrein

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. A few wineries in Australia produce Lagrein wines along with a new vineyard in the Umpqua Valley AVA of Oregon, USA. A very small amount of acreage is also set aside for it on the Central Coast of California.

The wine made from Lagrein grapes has a tendency to have very high acidity and low pH values, it is also highly tannic and a single varietal wine made from the grape can be extremely astringent, thus it is best blended with other varietals to smooth these charaters out. Lagrein produces a very deep yet intense red color in wine, with notable hues of purple which can be seen especially in the macerated juice.