Vinhos do Tejo launch a collective project to leverage the Fernão Pires grape variety 

In June, the Fernão Pires Caste Day (June 20) was instituted and celebrated, an initiative of the Regional Wine Commission for Tejo Wines (CVR Tejo), with the support of Almeirim City Council, which thus gave another step in the promotion of this variety. In addition to a series of initiatives, such as open-door wine cellars, free tastings and a didactic tasting, the entity chose this event to officially present, in Portugal, the project of union and collective effort Campo do Tejo® Fernão Pires and its wines, being currently a trilogy. 

 As the name shows, Campo do Tejo® Fernão Pires is a cluster of white wines made from grapes from Fernão Pires, mostly from the Campo terroir – in the region there are also Bairro and Charneca. The Campo covers the vineyard areas located along the two banks of the Tagus River, in an extension of more than 80 kilometers, in the geographical area of Ribatejo. These grapes benefit from a microclimate, with misty mornings, hot days and cool, humid nights, which gives the wines freshness, acidity and great liveliness. Campo do Tejo® Fernão Pires represents a specific profile of whites made with this variety: light, fresh and with little alcohol (up to 12%), ideal for relaxing, day-to-day consumption, alone or with food . Vibrant whites, highlighting the freshness that characterizes Tagus wines. 

 With a common style and backbone, each producer is free to give his stamp, creating wines that are different from each other. This comes not only from the specific location of the vineyards, but also from their age, the harvest date and the winemaking processes adopted by each one. In this launch phase, there are three participating producers: Batista’s by Pitada Verde, Quinta do Casal Monteiro and Quinta da Lagoalva. 

 Campo do Tejo® Fernão Pires wines are accessible in terms of price (RPP), which can vary between €4.00 and €5.50. The main focus is on export markets, however, in Portugal they will be available through the channels of each producer, and it is also possible to purchase them at the Rota dos Vinhos do Tejo store: physical, in Almeirim, and online, at www .rotadosvinhosdotejo.pt. 

 Campo do Tejo® Fernão Pires is a trademark registered by CVR Tejo, for a project that began to be thought of in 2020 – with the pandemic, first, and the war in Ukraine, then, eventually delaying its execution, creating up to some obstacles. Its objective is to add value to the vineyards and grapes of Fernão Pires – which represent 35% of the total vines in the region –; give all its Economic Agents the opportunity to produce (more) wines with the main grape variety of the Tagus Wines region; and to value the territory and its local economy, through the production of wines with a certification of origin. 

 Fernão Pires is the most planted white variety in Portugal, with greater expression in the Tagus Wines region, with an area of 4,500, out of a total of 13,000 hectares of vineyards. It should be noted that the versatility of this variety allows Tagus producers to create wines of very different styles: from sparkling wines to still wines, with or without wood, but also late harvests, muffled wines and even brandies. This plasticity and the promotion work carried out by CVR Tejo have generated a very interesting dynamic with regard to the “birth” of novelties, and the numbers speak for themselves: there are currently around 60 single varieties of Fernão Pires do Tejo, 50 % of which premiered since 2020, the vast majority of harvests after 2018.  

The graphic identity and assumptions of a bottle of Campo do Tejo® Fernão Pires 

 The graphic identity of Campo do Tejo® Fernão Pires comprises not just one, but three distinct labels, which, together, reveal and enhance the layout of the Tagus River. The Tagus is the essence of this region, appearing as a link and an anchor for those who live there. It was not by chance that, in wine terms, the name changed from Ribatejo (still called that, in terms of the territory) to Tejo. Thus, the Tagus River assumes preponderance in this identity, translated into “liquid gold” that winds through the agricultural fields that shape the landscape in a unique way, creating a very characteristic puzzle, revealing the abundance and richness of the region. 

 On each label, emphasis is given to the brand and product category, with the producer’s name appearing at the base of the image, as a signature and endorsement. Also note the fact that this is a project with sustainability assumptions: there is a single bottle for all wines, white glass and very light, and the labels are produced with a specific paper, made with 65% recycled fibre. 

 After a competition launched by CVR Tejo for the creation of the label, the winning idea came from a group of master’s students in design, from the University of Aveiro, having been the target of some refinements by the duo of design companies Amphora and Brand 75, partners of Tagus Wines, in England and Portugal.