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Alicante Bouschet
Alicante Bouschet is a rare grape known as a teinturier, meaning it has red coloured flesh as well as skin. The deep colours it produces means it has historically been popular for blending with lighter red wines, however it also produces highly prized varietal wines as well.
Cultivated since 1866, Alicante Bouschet was created by French botanist, Henri Bouschet and is a cross between the Grenache and Petit Bouschet grapes. The latter was similarly created by his father, Louis, itself a cross between Teinturier du Cher and Aramon.
The grape has thick skin and produces high yields, so it quickly became popular in France as it recovered from the Phylloxera epidemic and by the end of the 19th century it was planted across Bordeaux, Burgundy, the Loire Valley and the Alentejo region of Portugal. It found success for similar reasons during Prohibition in the United States. The Volstead act of 1920 outlawed the production and sale of alcohol but did make an exception for small amounts of home-made wine provided they were for the makers own consumption. As such, it was heavily planted in California for export to the east coast.
Notable regions
Alicante Bouschet is considered a noble red variety in the Alentejo region of Portugal which is nowadays considered its primary home following a decline in its popularity in France in the 21st century. Neighbouring Spain has also adopted the grape and it remains cultivated in the central valley regions of Califonia.
Elsewhere, Alicante Bouschet is also grown in Calabria, Chile, Tuscany, Israel and Algeria.
Characteristics
Created with intense fruitiness in mind, the thick-skinned Alicante Bouschet grape produces full-bodied and tannic wines with medium acidity and high alcohol.
The dominant flavours and aromas can vary from region to region but are generally characterised by berries like black cherry, bramble and blackberries, and spicy, smoky notes of black pepper and tobacco.