White País, J. Bouchon

If the red País is Chile’s rustic heart, the White País is its playful dare. Bouchon takes the same historic red grape and treats it like a blanc de noirs: the fruit is pressed straight off the skins before fermentation, leaving a wine that’s pale gold and shockingly fresh. The result is a glassful of citrus zip and orchard fruit — lemon peel, white peach, a touch of pear — layered over a saline mineral streak that feels like a sea breeze drifting inland. It’s light, nervy, and refreshing in the extreme, proving that País has more than one personality to show the world.

What makes White País so intriguing is its balance of tradition and innovation. The vines are still those same dry-farmed, head-trained old soldiers rooted in Maule’s sandy granite, but the winemaking flips convention: no oak, no skin time, just a clean stainless-steel ferment that bottles País’ brightness in its purest form. In a region known for red wines, this pale ghost of País feels like a secret — unexpected, elegant, and tailor-made for anyone chasing something a little off the beaten path.