Beverage

Alicante Bouschet

Alicante Bouschet is a rare teinturier red—red flesh as well as dark skins—so colour and extract run deep even with moderate maceration. Aromas lean black fruit, cocoa, and spice; tannins are solid, and the wine often serves as a colour and body booster in blends as well as a dense single-variety red in Alentejo and Languedoc. In the glass it reads darker and more opaque than most table reds of similar alcohol. In cookery, Alicante Bouschet suits long beef braises, game stews, and reduced pan sauces where deep colour and firm structure are wanted. A little goes far in marinades for grilled meats; choose dry table bottlings and simmer gently so the dense pigment and tannin do not turn bitter.

Also known as: Alicante Bouschet