If you like this, try…
Wines like Lagrein
An Alpine Italian variety producing dark, firm, savoury reds in Alto Adige. Below: what to try next, grouped by the direction you want to travel.
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What do you like about Lagrein?
Optional — the results below already work without it. But “I like Malbec” is at least four different preferences wearing one name, and saying which one you mean changes the answer substantially. Only qualities this wine actually has are offered.
What these words mean
- The firm, grippy structure
- High tannin — the drying grip on your gums, like over-brewed tea. It gives a red something to hold on to with rich food, and it is what lets a wine age.
- How full and weighty it is
- Body is how much the wine seems to fill your mouth — the difference between skimmed and whole milk. It comes mostly from alcohol and ripeness.
- The vanilla and oak
- Vanilla, toast, coconut, sweet spice, sometimes smoke. It comes from the barrel rather than the grape, which is why the same grape can taste completely different with and without it.
- The savoury, meaty side
- Leather, olive, cured meat, dried herbs, tobacco. It is what people mean by calling a wine "serious" rather than "fruity", and it comes with age as well as with place.
- The earthy, mineral side
- Forest floor, wet stone, mushroom, damp earth. Widely described and much less well explained than wine writing implies — the sensation is real, the causal story usually is not.
- That it is properly dry
- No perceptible sugar at all. Almost all red wine is dry and a good deal of white wine is not, which is why this is a more useful thing to say about a white than about a red.
Looking for something keeping the savoury, non-fruity character.
Based on what you said
Ranked against the qualities you named rather than against the wine as a whole. The directions below are refined the same way.
Syrah
curatedComparable dark fruit and savoury structure at a lighter weight.
- Keeps the savoury, non-fruity character.
Negroamaro
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, and both come from the same country.
- Keeps the savoury, non-fruity character.
Hemel-en-Aarde Pinot Noir
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
- Keeps the savoury, non-fruity character.
Stellenbosch Cabernet and Cape Bordeaux blends
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
- Keeps the savoury, non-fruity character.
Tannat
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
- Keeps the savoury, non-fruity character.
Melnik
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
- Keeps the savoury, non-fruity character.
Madiran
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
- Keeps the savoury, non-fruity character.
Spätburgunder (German Pinot Noir)
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
- Keeps the savoury, non-fruity character.
Closest overall
Nearest neighbours, no change of direction.
Closest matches
The nearest overall neighbours across structure and flavour, with no deliberate change of direction.
Syrah
curatedComparable dark fruit and savoury structure at a lighter weight.
Expect: Fuller and more peppery.
Negroamaro
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, and both come from the same country.
Expect: Expect it to be broader and softer, and rounder and creamier in texture.
Hemel-en-Aarde Pinot Noir
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be lighter, and less tannic and softer.
Stellenbosch Cabernet and Cape Bordeaux blends
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be more herbal and green, and rounder and creamier in texture.
Different grape, similar feel
Deliberately excludes the variety you already know, to find a genuinely new wine that fills the same role.
Negroamaro
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, and both come from the same country.
Expect: Expect it to be broader and softer, and rounder and creamier in texture.
Hemel-en-Aarde Pinot Noir
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be lighter, and less tannic and softer.
Syrah
curatedComparable dark fruit and savoury structure at a lighter weight.
Expect: Fuller and more peppery.
Stellenbosch Cabernet and Cape Bordeaux blends
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be more herbal and green, and rounder and creamier in texture.
Change the structure
Same idea, different weight, grip or freshness.
Similar but lighter
Keeps the character but reduces weight, alcohol and density in the mouth.
Australian Pinot Noir
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be spicier, and stronger and warmer.
Hemel-en-Aarde Pinot Noir
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be stronger and warmer, and less tannic and softer.
Langhe Nebbiolo
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, and both come from the same country.
Expect: Expect it to be more floral, and fresher and more acidic.
Pinot Noir
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be more restrained in fruit, and spicier.
Similar but lower in alcohol
Holds the character and the weight where it can, and moves specifically on strength. Note that below about 11% the choices narrow sharply, and below 5% they are mostly a different category rather than a lighter version of the same one.
Red Burgundy
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be more restrained in fruit, and spicier.
Spätburgunder (German Pinot Noir)
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be more floral, and lighter.
Pinot Noir
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be more restrained in fruit, and spicier.
Cru Beaujolais
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be more fruit-driven, and more floral.
Similar but fuller
Keeps the character but adds weight, concentration and mouthfeel.
Douro red
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be more floral, and spicier.
Madiran
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be more tannic and structured, and leaner and more cutting.
Montefalco Sagrantino
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, and both come from the same country.
Expect: Expect it to be sweeter, and more tannic and structured.
Priorat
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be spicier, and more tannic and structured.
Similar but less tannic
For readers who find firm reds drying. Reduces tannic grip while holding flavour and weight roughly steady.
Australian Pinot Noir
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be spicier, and lighter.
Carmenère
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be more herbal and green, and spicier.
Chilean Carmenère
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be more herbal and green, and spicier.
Hemel-en-Aarde Pinot Noir
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be lighter.
Similar but more structured
More tannic architecture, for food or for ageing.
Aglianico
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, and both come from the same country.
Expect: Expect it to be more restrained in fruit, and spicier.
Baga
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be more restrained in fruit, and fresher and more acidic.
Bairrada Baga
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be more restrained in fruit, and fresher and more acidic.
Barbaresco
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, and both come from the same country.
Expect: Expect it to be more restrained in fruit, and more aromatic.
Similar but fresher
Raises acidity and overall lift, usually by moving to a cooler-climate expression.
Baga
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be more restrained in fruit, and more tannic and structured.
Bairrada Baga
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be more restrained in fruit, and more tannic and structured.
Chianti
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, and both come from the same country.
Expect: Expect it to be more restrained in fruit, and more herbal and green.
Chianti Classico
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, and both come from the same country.
Expect: Expect it to be more restrained in fruit, and more herbal and green.
Similar but softer
Lowers acidity and sharpness in favour of a broader, gentler feel.
Carmenère
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be more herbal and green, and spicier.
Chilean Carmenère
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be more herbal and green, and spicier.
Jumilla Monastrell
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be spicier, and broader and softer.
Languedoc red
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be more herbal and green, and spicier.
The sparkling version
Moves to a sparkling expression while holding the flavour and weight as close as possible.
Sparkling Shiraz
Sparkling Shiraz scores closest to Lagrein across WineHQ’s taste dimensions.
Expect: Expect it to be more fruit-driven, and fruitier.
Franciacorta
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, and both come from the same country.
Expect: Expect it to be more sparkling, and less tannic and softer.
Lambrusco
Both come from the same country.
Expect: Expect it to be more fruit-driven, and stiller.
Lambrusco Grasparossa
Both come from the same country.
Expect: Expect it to be more fruit-driven, and stiller.
Similar but sweeter
Adds perceptible sweetness, which also softens acidity and chilli heat.
Montefalco Sagrantino
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, and both come from the same country.
Expect: Expect it to be fuller and richer, and more tannic and structured.
Sagrantino
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, and both come from the same country.
Expect: Expect it to be sweeter, and fuller and richer.
Saperavi
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be spicier, and fresher and more acidic.
Tawny Port
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be sweeter, and less tannic and softer.
Change the flavour
Same shape, different aromatic character.
Similar but less oaky
One of the commonest requests in wine. Strips oak influence while holding grape character and weight.
Australian Pinot Noir
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be more oaky, and spicier.
Broad-leaved Melnik
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be spicier, and broader and softer.
Carignan
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be more restrained in fruit, and more oaky.
Cornalin
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be spicier, and cleaner and more fruit-focused.
Similar but more oaky
Adds barrel character, toast and a creamier texture.
Ribera del Duero
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be less oaky, and spicier.
Rioja
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be more restrained in fruit, and less oaky.
Rioja Reserva
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be more restrained in fruit, and less oaky.
Tempranillo
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be more restrained in fruit, and less oaky.
Similar but more aromatic
More to smell before you taste — floral, fruity or spiced aromatics.
Barbaresco
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, and both come from the same country.
Expect: Expect it to be more restrained in fruit, and more aromatic.
Nebbiolo
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, and both come from the same country.
Expect: Expect it to be more restrained in fruit, and more aromatic.
Pinot Noir
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be more restrained in fruit, and spicier.
Syrah
curatedComparable dark fruit and savoury structure at a lighter weight.
Expect: Fuller and more peppery.
Similar but more restrained
For readers who find intensely aromatic wines tiring over a whole glass. Keeps the structure, turns the volume down.
Franken Silvaner
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be more restrained in fruit, and less tannic and softer.
Palomino Fino
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure.
Expect: Expect it to be more restrained in fruit, and less tannic and softer.
Muscadet
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure.
Expect: Expect it to be more restrained in fruit, and less tannic and softer.
Negroamaro
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, and both come from the same country.
Expect: Expect it to be more aromatic, and broader and softer.
Similar but more floral
Pushes specifically towards rose, violet, blossom and elderflower character.
Barbaresco
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, and both come from the same country.
Expect: Expect it to be more restrained in fruit, and more floral.
Cahors
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be more restrained in fruit, and more neutral and subtle.
Douro red
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be more floral, and spicier.
Etna Rosso
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, and both come from the same country.
Expect: Expect it to be more restrained in fruit, and more neutral and subtle.
Similar but more savoury
Moves away from primary fruit towards earth, herb, meat and umami character.
Chianti Classico Riserva
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure, and both come from the same country.
Expect: Expect it to be more savoury, and more restrained in fruit.
Taurasi
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure, and both come from the same country.
Expect: Expect it to be more savoury, and more restrained in fruit.
Barolo
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure, and both come from the same country.
Expect: Expect it to be more savoury, and more restrained in fruit.
Naoussa Xinomavro
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure.
Expect: Expect it to be more savoury, and more restrained in fruit.
Similar but fruitier
More obvious, generous fruit flavour, usually from a warmer climate.
New Zealand Pinot Noir
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be fruitier, and more herbal and green.
Amarone della Valpolicella
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure, and both come from the same country.
Expect: Expect it to be fruitier, and spicier.
Plavac Mali
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure.
Expect: Expect it to be fruitier, and spicier.
Dalmatian Plavac Mali
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure.
Expect: Expect it to be fruitier, and spicier.
Change the mood
Safer, stranger, cheaper or more serious.
A safe next step
Well-known wines that are widely available and unlikely to surprise anyone.
Syrah
curatedComparable dark fruit and savoury structure at a lighter weight.
Expect: Fuller and more peppery.
Ribera del Duero
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be spicier, and fuller and richer.
Oregon Pinot Noir
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be more floral, and fresher and more acidic.
Sangiovese
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, and both come from the same country.
Expect: Expect it to be more restrained in fruit, and more herbal and green.
Something more adventurous
Less familiar wines that occupy similar territory — the interesting end of the shelf.
Negroamaro
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, and both come from the same country.
Expect: Expect it to be broader and softer, and rounder and creamier in texture.
Hemel-en-Aarde Pinot Noir
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be lighter, and less tannic and softer.
Stellenbosch Cabernet and Cape Bordeaux blends
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be more herbal and green, and rounder and creamier in texture.
Tannat
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be fuller and richer, and more tannic and structured.
A better-value alternative
Wines that occupy similar sensory territory from regions carrying less price premium. WineHQ does not hold live prices, so this reasons from regional reputation and demand rather than from a price feed — treat it as a lead, not a quote.
Negroamaro
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, and both come from the same country.
Expect: Expect it to be broader and softer, and rounder and creamier in texture.
Hemel-en-Aarde Pinot Noir
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be lighter, and less tannic and softer.
Stellenbosch Cabernet and Cape Bordeaux blends
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be more herbal and green, and rounder and creamier in texture.
Tannat
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be fuller and richer, and more tannic and structured.
A step up
The benchmark expressions of the same territory, usually with more concentration, structure and ageing potential.
Ribera del Duero
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be fuller and richer, and spicier.
Priorat
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be rounder and creamier in texture, and fuller and richer.
Amarone della Valpolicella
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, and both come from the same country.
Expect: Expect it to be fruitier, and spicier.
Châteauneuf-du-Pape
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure.
Expect: Expect it to be fruitier, and more herbal and green.
Each suggestion is scored across sixteen taste dimensions, weighted so that structure matters more than flavour, and adjusted for whether the wine actually moves in the direction you asked for. Curated links from an editor carry extra weight — but only when the editor tagged them for this direction. Nothing here is a black box; see the taste model for the full method.