red grape · regional staple
Alicante Bouschet
Mauguio, Hérault, France
Say it
ah·lee·kan·tayboo·shay
Bouschet is a French surname; terminal 't' is silent. Alicante references the Spanish city; the terminal 'e' is voiced in wine contexts.
On the palate
blackberryblack plumblack cherryvioletchocolateearth
How you spot it blind: teinturier grape — red flesh produces inky color without skin contact
The story
First written down · 1866, Mauguio, Hérault, France
Bred in 1866 by Henri Bouschet at Domaine de la Calmette, Mauguio, France, crossing Petit Bouschet with Grenache to add color to thin southern French wines devastated by phylloxera.
Family tree: Petit Bouschet × Grenache
Where it lives
Alentejo, Portugal · Castilla-La Mancha, Spain · Languedoc-Roussillon, France
Shows up as
still redAlentejo
If you like this, try
Also answers to Garnacha Tintorera.
Shop our Alicante Bouschet bottles