Doux d'Henry

The Doux d’Henry grape, also known locally as Gros d’Henry or Doun d’Henry, is a rare and lesser-known red grape variety primarily cultivated in the Pinerolo area in the province of Turin, in Piedmont. While some early sources speculated that the grape might have French origins, most notably the 19th-century ampelographer Giovanni G. Rovasenda (1877), it is now widely accepted that Doux d’Henry is a native Italian variety, deeply rooted in the local viticultural history of the Pinerolo hills.

Doux d’Henry is a vigorous and medium-late ripening vine, but it is also notably delicate in its reproductive cycle. The grape has a tendency toward sagging (drooping of the bunch) and floral abortion (failure of flowers to develop into fruit), which significantly reduces its yield and contributes to inconsistent production from year to year. For this reason, it is often grown alongside other pollinating varieties, and it is very rarely vinified as a single-varietal wine.

From an ampelographic perspective, the berries are black, medium to large, and spherical, with a thin but resilient skin that has a slightly waxy texture and a characteristic blue-black colour. The bunches are medium to large, typically conical-pyramidal in shape, often with visible wings. The leaves are medium in size, either three-lobed or five-lobed, and present a classic structure common to many Piedmontese varieties.

When vinified, Doux d’Henry produces a ruby red wine of medium body with a pleasant, though not intense, aromatic profile. The flavour is subtle and easy-drinking, making it suitable for early consumption rather than long-term ageing. Due to its agronomic challenges and low productivity, Doux d’Henry is rarely found on the commercial market, but it remains a valuable part of Piedmont’s viticultural biodiversity, championed by a handful of producers and researchers aiming to preserve the region’s native grape heritage.