(SacBee) - There was a day when farmers and winemakers alike adored the black grape alicante bouschet. That was long ago, during Prohibition. For growers, especially in the San Joaquin Valley, alicante bouschet was a prodigious producer, giving them up to 10 or so tons per acre, helping assure an encouraging return on investment. For winemakers, the thick-skinned alicante bouschet easily withstood the rigors of being shipped to cellars in the Midwest and along the East Coast.