Grape in focus
Alicante Bouschet: the grape with red juice
With almost all black grapes the juice is colourless. Alicante Bouschet is one of the few exceptions: even its flesh is red. It was bred in France, but feels more at home in the Alentejo than in its country of birth. Today it is the most planted grape there.
Alicante Bouschet at a glance
| Origin | France. Bred between 1865 and 1885 by Henri Bouschet, from Petit Bouschet and Grenache, which was then often called Alicante. |
|---|---|
| Other names | Alicante, Garnacha Tintorera in Spain |
| Main regions | Alentejo, where it covers almost 18 percent of the vineyards, and also Lisboa and Tejo |
| Plantings | 8,822 ha (2025), Portugal’s fifth grape |
| In the vineyard | At home in the warm, dry Alentejo |
| Taste | Deep colour, blackcurrant, blackberry and plum, spice, firm tannins |
| Styles | Red, almost always in a blend |
Read more about the other Portuguese grapes in our overview of Portuguese grape varieties.
A grape that dyes
The French call red-fleshed grapes teinturiers: dyer grapes. In the early twentieth century they were planted in the south of France to give pale wines more colour. Alicante Bouschet was the best known. Unlike most dyer grapes of that time, which were crossed with American vines, it is a pure Vitis vinifera, the European vine.
In France it stopped there and plantings have fallen sharply. In Portugal the grape got a second life: according to the Oxford Companion it seems more at home here than in France, and it is the backbone of some famous Alentejo wines.
Colour and structure in the Alentejo
In the Alentejo, Alicante Bouschet is part of the classic blend with Aragonez and Trincadeira. Aragonez brings fruit and suppleness, Trincadeira spice and freshness, Alicante Bouschet colour, structure and depth. At Quinta do Mouro in Estremoz it goes into every red wine, from 10 percent in Zagalos to 40 percent in the Dourado. Rui Reguinga uses it too, in Terrenus and Intensus.
What to eat with it?
Wines with Alicante Bouschet are full and firm. They go well with leg of lamb, braised beef, game, grilled porco preto or migas with pork. A Flemish beef stew or a cut of beef from the barbecue can handle them too.
Our wines with Alicante Bouschet
Mostly from the Alentejo, always in a blend. Each bottle shows which grapes it is made from.
Alentejo
Other regions
Palhete
Frequently asked questions about Alicante Bouschet
Why is the wine so dark?
Because not only the skin but also the flesh of the grape is red. Even a short maceration gives a deep colour.
Is Alicante Bouschet the same as Alicante Branco?
No. Alicante Branco is a completely different, white grape. The name Alicante is used for several grapes in Portugal and Spain.
How long can you keep it?
Blends with Alicante Bouschet have plenty of structure and can often keep for five to ten years. Serve them at around 16 to 18 °C.
Plantings: IVV, castas mais utilizadas 2025 (ivv.gov.pt). Background: The Oxford Companion to Wine, via JancisRobinson.com.