 | It has been suggested that this article bemerged withListan Prieto andMission (grape). (Discuss) Proposed since August 2025. |
Pais is a redwinegrape that has played a prominent role in theChilean wine industry. Up until the turn of the 21st century, it wasChile's most planted variety until it was overtaken byCabernet Sauvignon. Today it is most commonly used in the production ofjug wine in theBío-Bío,Maule andItata River regions in the south. The grape is sometimes known asNegra Peruana. InArgentina the grape is known asCriolla Chica.[1]
The Pais has one of the longestviticultural history in Chile, believed to have been brought to the region bySpanishconquistadors fromPeru during theircolonization of the continent in the 16th century.Ampelographers believe that along with theCriolla Grande grape ofArgentina andMission grape ofCalifornia, that the Pais grape is descended by the Spanish "common black grape" brought toMexico in 1520 by the Spanish conquistadorHernán Cortés. That early grape was then cultivated bySpanish missionaries and spread throughout theAmericas. The Pais grape remained Chile's primary wine grape until the emergence of theBordeaux winevarietals in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.[2]
Pais produces a thin bodied, rustic red wine that typically has a light brown coloring.[3] The grape's thin skin does not provide muchextract and vineyard owners typicallyharvest at much higheryields than what would be needed to produce higher quality wines. The grape is valued for vigor and ease of cultivation, producing 8–13tons peracre even with limited amounts ofirrigation. It is mostly consumed domestically but somesweetdessert wines have beenexported in the past.[4]
