Many of today's Pais vineyards are located in the Bío-Bío river valley.
Pais is a red winegrape that has played a prominent role in the Chilean wine industry. Up until the turn of the 21st century, it was Chile's most planted variety until it was overtaken by Cabernet Sauvignon. Today it is most commonly used in the production of jug wine in the Bío-Bío, Maule and Itata River regions in the south. The grape is sometimes known as Negra Peruana. In Argentina the grape is known as Criolla Chica.[1]
Pais produces a thin bodied, rustic red wine that typically has a light brown coloring.[3] The grape's thin skin does not provide much extract and vineyard owners typically harvest at much higher yields than what would be needed to produce higher quality wines. The grape is valued for vigor and ease of cultivation, producing 8–13 tons per acre even with limited amounts of irrigation. It is mostly consumed domestically but some sweetdessert wines have been exported in the past.[4]
References
^ J. Robinson (ed) "The Oxford Companion to Wine" Third Edition pg 503 Oxford University Press 2006 ISBN0-19-860990-6
^ K. MacNeil The Wine Bible pg 836 & 840 Workman Publishing 2001 ISBN1-56305-434-5