It is different from the Chilean wine grape Pais, also known as Criolla Chica, but ampelographers believe that both grapes share a common parent, and it is now listed as a crossing of Mission and Muscat of Alexandria.
The grape has pink skin, which is thicker than in its Chilean cousin, Pais, and is used to produce deeply colored white wine.
The grape is rarely exported outside of Argentina where it is used to produce massive quantities of box and jug wines.
[2] The grape belong to the Criollas group of varieties.
[3] Although it has previously been speculated that Criolla Grande as such was brought to the Americas, the presence of Mission in its pedigree makes it likely that the crossing resulting in Criolla Grande took place in America.