white grape · regional staple
Fernão Pires
Bairrada, Portugal
Say it
fer·nowngpee·resh
Fernão ends in a nasalized diphthong (–ão ≈ -NOWNG); Pires ends with a soft sh fricative, nearly silent
On the palate
orange blossomlemonorange peelwhite peachhoneysuckleapricot
How you spot it blind: explosively floral orange-blossom aromatics with characteristically soft, low acidity
The story
First written down · 1788, Douro / Beiras / Estremadura, Portugal
A 1999 DNA study confirmed that Fernão Pires (used throughout Portugal) and Maria Gomes (the Bairrada synonym) are genetically identical, resolving a long-running naming dispute.
Where it lives
Tejo, Portugal · Bairrada / Beira Atlântico, Portugal · Lisboa, Portugal · Robertson, South Africa
Shows up as
still whitesparklingsweetfortified
If you like this, try
Also answers to Maria Gomes.
Shop our Fernão Pires bottles