The Alicante Bouschet grape is named after its creator, the nurseryman Henri Bouschet, who developed it from a cross between Petit Bouschet and Grenache. It is a “teinturier” grape, meaning it has both red skins and red pulp. Originally from France, with cultivation in Languedoc-Roussillon and Provence, it is now primarily grown in Spain, where it is known as Garnacha Tintorera, but it is also found in Portugal and North Africa. In Italy, Alicante Bouschet is found in Tuscany, Sicily, and Sardinia. Its most important qualities are its color and alcohol potential. Alicante Bouschet gained significant popularity during Prohibition, when it was grown in California for export to the East Coast, thanks to its thick skins that made it resistant to rot during transport. Its intense color made it ideal for extending wines, as it could be diluted without being noticeable.

While in France, Alicante Bouschet is almost extinct, it has found its ideal territory in Portugal, especially in the Alentejo region, where it was first planted at the end of the 1800s. Here today, it produces high-end wines, appreciated for their structure, intense color, and significant phenolic content. Wines from Alicante Bouschet are not typically very aromatic and can lack character and complexity when young. The vine produces better results when it develops tertiary aromas that can become dominant with aging.