| Douce noir | |
|---|---|
| Grape (Vitis) | |
 Douce noir/Bonarda grapes growing in Argentina | |
| Color of berry skin | Noir |
| Species | Vitis vinifera |
| Also called | Bonarda, Corbeau, Charbonneau more |
| Origin | Savoy |
| Sex of flowers | Hermaphrodite |
| VIVC number | 2826 |
Douce noir (also known as Bonarda, Corbeau and Charbono) is a red Savoyard wine grape variety that has historically been grown in the Savoy region, but today is more widely planted in Argentina.
It arrived in Savoy in the early 19th century, and by the end of the century it was the most widely grown red wine grape in the region. It is the second most widely planted red grape in Argentina (after Malbec). The grape is also grown in California where it is known as Charbono.[1]
In California, Bonarda/Douce noir/Charbono is produced in very limited amounts with the grape having been described as a "cult wine" for its scarcity and devotion of its connoisseurs.[2] However, journalists such as Alan Goldfarb describes the variety as "... the Rodney Dangerfield of wine" and notes that it is a hard variety to find a market for.[3]
- ^ J. Robinson, J. Harding and J. Vouillamoz Wine Grapes - A complete guide to 1,368 vine varieties, including their origins and flavours pgs 309-310 Allen Lane 2012 ISBN 978-1-846-14446-2
- ^ Patrica Savoie "Charbono: A Grape Struggles to Avoid Extinction" Wine Business Monthly. May 2003 issue. Accessed: April 27th, 2013
- ^ Alan Goldfarb "Charbono: The Misunderstood Grape Breaks Through…Barely" Appellation America, January 25th, 2008