Garnacha Tintorera

Garnacha Tintorera, known internationally as Alicante Bouschet, is one of the most unique red grape varieties in the world and a long-standing acquaintance of the Alicante vineyards, to the point of carrying the name of the province in its international denomination. Its distinctive feature makes it unmistakable: it is a teinturier , meaning it has red flesh as well.

The vast majority of red grapes have colorless flesh and their color resides entirely in the skin; Garnacha Tintorera, on the other hand, also stains from the inside. This leads to wines with an extraordinary color load, deep and powerful, which for a long time were used to give body and color to blends and today are championed by wineries in inland Alicante as a variety with its own personality.

In regions like Vinalopó, Tintorera is part of the vineyard landscape alongside Monastrell, and offers visitors a fascinating story: that of a grape created in the 19th century that found in these warm, dry lands a place to shine.

Unlike ancient native varieties, Garnacha Tintorera has a known and relatively recent origin. It was obtained in France in the 19th century by nursery owner Henri Bouschet, through the crossing of Petit Bouschet with Garnacha, specifically seeking a grape with great coloring power. This origin explains its international name, Alicante Bouschet, with which it spread throughout the world.

The variety quickly spread to warm regions of Europe, America, and North Africa, and took strong root in the southeastern peninsula. In Alicante, it found a dry, sunny climate that suits it well, and for decades it was appreciated for its ability to provide color and structure. Today, the trend towards varietal wines and the recovery of old vineyards have given it new prominence among wineries seeking characterful reds.

Garnacha Tintorera is a grape with colored flesh (teinturier), a trait shared by very few varieties. Its leaves are small to medium-sized and its clusters are conical and compact, with medium-sized spherical berries. The combination of red-skinned and red-fleshed grapes gives it a chromatic potential that no other common variety can match.

It produces wines of very intense color, nearly opaque, alcoholic and with medium acidity, marked by fruity and vegetal expression. It adapts very well to dry and hot climates and responds well to both traditional bush training and trellising. In the winery, it works well both as a powerful varietal and by contributing color and body in blends.

Wines made from Garnacha Tintorera stand out for their color intensity and a profile of ripe black fruit —blackberries, blueberries— accompanied by floral, spicy notes and sometimes vegetal hints when the grape has not reached full maturity. With aging in wood, they gain complexity, with hints of cocoa, ink, and sweet spices.

On the palate, these wines are broad, warm, and well-bodied, with present tannins and a persistent finish. Their structure makes them ideal for pairing with red meats, stews, cured sausages, and aged cheeses from the cuisine of inland Alicante.

Garnacha Tintorera has a long vegetative cycle: it buds early and ripens late, requiring areas with plenty of sunlight hours to complete its maturation. These demands fit well with the warm and sunny climate of inland Alicante.

It is a variety that is highly adapted and resistant to drought, capable of performing well in arid conditions, a quality increasingly valued in light of climate change. It prefers poor, well-drained soils, where it controls its vigor and concentrates color and substance.