FERNÃO PIRES/MARIA GOMES (grape variety) Portugal is home to around 300 indigenous grape varieties. The fact that for a long time the figure was thought to be twice is because of the countless synonyms associated with these grapes. For instance, the widespread Fernão Pires simply changes gender as it travels along the Atlantic coast towards Coimbra, becoming Maria Gomes.
“Fernão Pires is the punk rocker among Portuguese grapes,” says David Picard of Adega Belém, referring to one of the country’s most eccentric – albeit demonstrably oldest – grape varieties. Aromatic like a Muscat, with a bouquet of white flowers on the nose, round tropical fruit on the palate, accompanied by lively bitter notes and moderate acidity.
A sought-after blending partner in the Tagus region and the Bairrada, Maria Gomes can be used to produce wonderful sparkling wines with character and edge. Due to its early budbreak and similarly early ripening, Fernão Pires has been established as the benchmark grape variety for the phenological stages of white varieties.