Lagaria Winery

Location: Volano, Province of Trento. Trentino, Italy.

Lagaria was founded in 1975 by Neil and Maria Empson. The wines are made by a longtime friend and Enologist, Franco Bernabei. Lagaria is comprised of two clean, versatile whites from Italy’s Val Lagarina, and one delightfully rich Mediterranean red wine.

Points of Differentiation
Approachable, Drink Now
Food Friendly
Easy Open Screwcap
Crafted by Superstar Enologist, Franco Bernabei
New labels designed by one of Italy’s most exciting illustrators, Stefano Riboli

The History

For the Empsons, finely crafted wine is something that should be enjoyed every day, not just for special occasions. With this in mind, they began looking for a new location for their latest winemaking venture and they found it in the Lagarina Valley in Trentino Alto-Adige.

Nestled in the Lagarina Valley is a state of the art winery, ideally situated on gravelly soil, slowly releasing the accumulated heat of the day through the cool, breezy nights.

Neil and Maria Empson wanted to make the quality of this terroir as accessible and affordable as possible, so they focused on creating fruity, fragrant, well-balanced wines whose medium body and smooth texture delicately enhance any meal. The Empsons named the winery Lagaria in honor of the Lagarina Valley where the wines are made.

However, the Empsons were not content to only make white wine and decided to add a red to the range. To achieve the quality they wanted, the Empsons had to travel over 900 miles to Sicily. There, where the heat produces powerful and rich wines, they found an elegant Merlot that fits beautifully beside Lagaria’s Pinot Grigio and Chardonnay.

Recently, the Lagaria line received an exciting label redesign at the hands of one of Italy’s most exciting illustrators, Stefano Riboli.

The Terroir

The appellation’s green, rolling hills, at the foot of the Dolomites Mountains are ideally suited for viticulture. The cool temperatures and night/day, winter/summer temperature extremes endow local wines with a particular freshness and a strong backbone of acidity.

The soil characteristics are enhanced by being located at an altitude of 820-1,640 feet above sea level. The vineyard management is painstaking and severe, thereby ensuring crop yields far lower than competing wines.