Criolla Grande

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Criolla Grande (also known as Criolla) is a wine grape commonly found in Argentina. It is different from the Chilean wine grape Pais, also known as Criolla Chico, but ampelographers believe that both grapes share a common parent. As of 2006, Criolla was the second most widely planted Argentine wine grape after Cereza and before the more widely exported Malbec. It is primarily found in the Mendoza region. The grape has pink skin and is more thick than its Chilean cousin, Pais, and is used to produced deeply colored white wine. It is sometimes used to produce a light colored rosé. The grape is rarely exported outside of Argentina where it is used to produce massive quantities of box and jug wines.^[1]

[edit] History

The grape is believed to have been brought to the region by Spanish conquistadors during their colonization of the continent in the 16th century. Along with Chile's Pais and the Mission grape of California, the grape is believed to be a descendant of the Spanish "common black grape" brought to Mexico in 1520 by the Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés.^[2]

[edit] References