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The Lagrein grape is a native red grape variety of Alto Adige, north of Italy, with its name thought to be deriving from Val Lagarina. In fact, it is almost certain that the name Lagrein derives from Lagara, a colony of Magna Grecia that produced a wine known as “Lagaritanos”.
Until the 18th century the name Lagrein was mainly associated usually to the white grape Lagrein bianco, which was probably the most important variety in the surroundings of Bolzano, especially in the “Gries” area.
Lagrein Rosso (“roter Lagrein”) firstly appears in 1525 and there are two different biotypes with different size and shape of the bunch, Lagrein a grappolo corto (short cluster) and Lagrein a grappolo lungo (long cluster) and there are two types of wine made from Lagrein: rosé (Kretzer) and dark (Dunkel).
The lagrein has a black berry, medium, oval with a waxy, consistent and thick skin, blue-black colored, very homogeneous. The bunch is medium, tending to pyramidal, short and stocky, with one or two wings, rather compact with a medium, tending to pyramidal shape, short and stocky, with one or two wings, rather compact.
The Lagrein grape has a good yield and ripens late, with high acidity and low tannins.
This Lagrein grape produces a deep ruby red wine with a fruity nose, the taste is dry, fresh and full-bodied and it suited for wood ageing. When made rosé, the wine accentuates its fresh characteristics.
Lambrusco more than a single grape is a collective name used for a large group of red grape varieties, currently over 60, a red grape and the name of a wine made with said grape and originates from Emilia-Romagna and Lombardy.
As per the Lambrusco wine, it is a slightly sparking, “frizzante”, red wine from one of the eight Lambrusco denominazione di origine controllata (DOC) regions: Colli di Parma Lambrusco, Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro, Lambrusco di Sorbara, Lambrusco Salamino di Santa Croce, Reggiano Lambrusco, Colli di Scandiano e Canossa Lambrusco, Modena Lambrusco, and Lambrusco Mantovano (the only DOC outside Emilia Romagna).
Traditionally, Lambrusco wines were bottle fermented but nowadays, the majority of them, go through the second fermentation in large steel tanks. This is the Martinotti/Charmat/tank method – this method is also used for the production of Prosecco. Lambrusco wines were initially made to be drunk young, but in the recent years a new wave of winemakers has proved that a good Lambrusco can age well and some of them even started to make wines using the classic method (metodo classico) with, sometime, amazing results.
Lambrusco wines have different levels of dryness / sweetness , including “secco” (bone dry / dry), “amabile” (off-dry / sweet) and “dolce” (very sweet) but the best wines come in their “secco” version. Lambrusco tends to have a lively acidity and a berry nose and it matches perfectly charcuteries and cheeses.
The Lambrusco Barghi has uncertain origin, probably Tuscan. It was cultivated extensively up to the ‘60s in the estates of Count Corbelli in Castelnovo di Sotto and in Rivalta, in the province of Reggio Emilia.
It is one of the many varieties of Lambrusco grapes cultivated in Emilia-Romagna, and like the others probably comes from wild vines, which grow in profusion in a spontaneous way in the Apennine hills and that were called by the Latin “Lambrusca vitis”.
The berry is black, medium or medium-large with waxy, thick skin, very resistant to botrytis. The bunch is medium-large, often winged, medium in length, reddish-blond with a five-lobed leaf, with medium deep sinuses, serrated on the edge.
The Lambrusco Barghi has medium to high vigor and average productivity.
The Lambrusco Barghi gives an intense ruby red wine. The scent has elegant aromas, with fruity notes. The taste is medium acidic.
The grape Lambrusco di Sorbara is an indigenous variety of ancient origin, derived by domestication of wild vines (Vitis Lambrusca, also mentioned by Pliny the Elder), also known as “uzeline” or “oseline” for the fact that they were growing in a spontaneous way on the edge of the woods, plundered by the birds.
The Lambrusco di Sorbara gets its name from the village of Sorbara in the municipality of Bomporto, near Modena. The grape is characterised by the floral abortion phenomenon and this is due to a flowering anomaly which causes a considerable loss of product (production losses can exceed two-thirds of the harvest), it is now understood that this phenomenon, typical of the Lambrusco di Sorbara, is caused mainly by pollen sterility.
This particular characteristic of the grape Lambrusco di Sorbara helps to make it unique, easy to remember because this peculiarity distinguishes it from all other types of Lambrusco.
The Lambrusco di Sorbara berry is black, medium, and sub-round with thick, substantial, very waxy, blue-black skin. The bunch is medium, pyramidal, winged and typically sparse with a medium, pentagonal leaf, it prefers loose soil, sandy and permeable, the grape is prone to leaking and millerandage. This grape has very high vigor and a mid-late maturing.
The Lambrusco di Sorbara produces ruby red colored wines with a pinkish froth (the lightest of the four varieties of Lambrusco of Modena province). The nose is fresh, very fine, with a characteristic and distinct hint of violet. On the palate, the wine is fresh and delicate, fruity, balanced.
The Lecinaro grape is an ancient authochthonal variety of Lazio, recently rediscovered, listed in the National Register of grapevine varieties in 2010, together with Capolongo, Maturano, Pampanaro, Rosciola.
These varieties have been recovered thanks to an Arsial project (Regional Agency for Agricultural Development and Innovation in Lazio), aimed at identifying the most qualified clones for vines already enrolled in the Regional register of grapevine varieties, to bring out the distinctive elements and allow the development in the territory. So little is known of this variety, and there are very few manufacturers that offer it.
Lecinaro’s berry is white.
The Lugana wine is a hidden gem. Despite being widely exported, the Lugana wine is still relatively unknown outside Italy and even within, and its demand is mainly driven by tourists returning home from a holiday on the Lake Garda.
The Lugana wine is made with Trebbiano di Lugana that has recently changed its name to “Turbiana” to avoid any confusion with any of the other Trebbiano grape grown all over Italy, because of its poor reputation, and the Lugana DOC wine region is situated on the southern part of the Lake Garda, divided between Veneto and Lombardy.
The Lugana wine has always been associated with a light, easy to drink wine, a wine to drink whilst sitting outside, in a summer evening, however, in the last few years there has been a push towards the production of better Lugana wines, even for the basic Lugana, and the first results are slowly showing promising signs, the grape and the wine are proving to be much more than an easy to drink dry white wine. If you want to know more about the Lugana DOC trends read Andrea’s post.
The Lugana DOC appellation allows the following wines to be called Lugana:
Lugana, Superiore (requires 1 year maturation not necessarily in oak), Riserva (aged for min. 24 months, 6 months in bottle, not necessarily in oak), Vendemmia Tardiva (late harvest) and Spumante, very limited production following both the Charmat and Metodo Classico.
The Lumassina grape prefers the area of the province of Savona, in the hinterland of Noli and that of Finale Ligure (particularly in the area of Varigotti fraction), where it is called Mataòssu.
Its name, Lumassina in Ligurian language also means a little snail. In fact, according to local tradition, the wine made from this grape should be drunk accompanied with a plate of snails, regionally known as lumasse.
Towards the end of the 19th century Lumassina was known as a local Genoese variety, although later the grape has spread especially in the province of Savona.
Its berry is white, medium small, spherical and ellipsoid with waxy, thin, green colored skin. The bunch is medium large, pyramidal, medium long, compact with two or three well-developed wings medium-large, wedge-shaped, three-lobed or entire leaf.
The Lumassina vine has a good vigor, a late maturation period and an abundant production.
The wine produced out of this grape variety is pale yellow colored, lightly loaded. The scent is fruity and floral, with hints of dried fruit and honey. It tastes fresh, fruity, and persistent, with a slightly bitter aftertaste.
The Maceratino grape variety has been grown for centuries in the Marche region and, in particular, in Macerata, hence the name, and the neighboring areas of Ancona and Ascoli Piceno, where it contributes as a basic grape in the production of the wines Bianco Piceno and Colli Maceratesi DOC.
Most probably, Maceratino makes part of the group Greci, ancient vines imported into Italy by the early settlers of Ancient Greece. Among its many synonyms there is also Maceratino greco and Maceratino castellano.
Its presence is increasingly rare, even in its area of origin, most likely due to competition with Verdicchio, whose production has enological characteristics superior and with lower costs, such as to obscure even far more noble varieties.
The Maceratino grape has a white, medium, spheroidal berry with skin of medium thickness, consistent, quite waxy, yellow-golden colored with brown streaks and a striking navel. The cluster is medium-large, cylindrical-conical, and tight with a large, orbicular and lobed leaf.
The Maceratino vine has an abundant and fairly constant production. It is not picky about the nature of the soil, climate or exposure. According to the biotype, may have higher or lower productivity and different sugar level.
The wine produced from the Maceratino grape is of a rather pale straw yellow color. The scent is slightly fragrant. The taste is neutral, fruity, dry, with little body.
Magliocco Canino is a unique grape variety cultivated in the sun-drenched regions of Calabria, Marche, and Sicily since antiquity. This exceptional grape, a distinguished member of the Magliocco family, stands out for its remarkable oenological potential, yielding wines of unparalleled elegance and finesse.
Magliocco Canino traces its roots to ancient times, it is a testament to the rich viticultural history of Southern Italy. The origins of its intriguing name remain shrouded in mystery, with theories suggesting it may derive from the grape's small, fist- or hammer-shaped bunch.
Primarily cultivated along the Tyrrhenian coast of Calabria, particularly in the provinces of Cosenza and Catanzaro, Magliocco Canino thrives in the region's unique microclimate.
The Magliocco Canino grape boasts a medium-sized, elliptical berry with a deep black hue and a waxy, medium-thick skin, exhibiting a captivating color palette from red-violet to blue-black. The grape clusters are medium-sized, conical, and moderately compact, adorned with large, verdant leaves.
Magliocco Canino wines are renowned for their elegant and refined character, displaying a vibrant ruby-red color and an aromatic bouquet of dried fruits. The wine offers a harmonious and smooth taste, characterized by low acidity and excellent aging potential.
Malbec is a black grape variety native to southwestern France but grown in several Italian regions, from Abruzzo to Friulia Venezia Giulia, from Apulia to Sardinia passing for Sicily, Tuscany and Umbria, in little quantity, even if rarely bottled on its own, mainly used in blends, examples are the red Supertuscans where it is often blended with Sangiovese as well as other international grapes.
The Malbech grape and wine has risen to worldwide fame thanks to Argentina becoming the flagship of Argentinean wines and only in the last few years, until then, it was very little known grape.
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