PASQUA Amazing Wines
Navigating the labyrinth in the Veneto
n the Pasqua winery garden near Verona, a stunning, two-metre-high laurel maze invites you to trace your way to the middle. Leading us to the centre, in every sense, are the insightful comments of forty-year-old CEO, Riccardo Pasqua di Bisceglie. “When you’re in a labyrinth, you have to use your intelligence to find your way, you try not to make the same mistakes, and you use your instincts. Going into a maze means experimenting to find the secret. The easiest path isn’t necessarily the right one. For Pasqua, the maze represents its own story, its daily commitment, its insistence on hitting the mark. The know-how amassed in almost 100 years of work in the vineyards and the winery is a path made of research, determination and courage.”
An authentic company turnaround has been underway since Riccardo Pasqua took over as CEO in 2015. He is the third-generation leader of the family business, and works with brother Alessandro (Vice President for USA).
Umberto Pasqua is still the President, but he gives his children full autonomy and the generational handover has worked well. Founded in 1925, Pasqua has been bottling its own brand since 1959 (prior to the introduction of Italian DOC laws). It produces 15 million bottles, 106 labels, from 322 hectares of vineyards (100 self-owned), exports almost 89% to 70 markets worldwide, has two foreign branches, Pasqua USA in NY and Pasqua Asia in Dalian, and a turnover of about 60-million Euros.
We enter the charming but functional tasting room overlooking the barrel cellar. Appropriately called the Library, it is here that the core team meet to study and taste samples together to increase their knowledge. Sitting opposite us, and flanked by cousin Cecilia Pasqua (Commercial Manager) on the one side and oenologist Carlo Olivari on the other, Riccardo Pasqua modestly outlines his career, explaining the path the company is now taking. “I started in 2007 with the aim of developing the American market, but I quickly understood that I actually needed to live there to conquer the territory. So my family and I moved to New York and Pasqua USA was founded in 2009. We were able to intuit the needs of the end consumer and it has now become our main market (accounting for one third of turnover). My brother Alessandro is the manager there now.
“Pasqua Asia was created in 2017 by acquiring 51% of our importer’s shares in Dalian, China. We are opening a second branch in Shenzen, in the South. I believe that Italian wine will be prominent in China within 5-10 years’ time.” We ask Cecilia about the situation in Great Britain. “The market is hyper competitive but we have a solid position and the UK accounts for 10% of our turnover. We work both directly and through an importer, but we want to invest further through Brand Ambassadors to develop our business in quality restaurants. I personally organise many tastings.”
When Riccardo Pasqua took the helm in 2015, he introduced an American-style managerial vision integrating it with an Italian feel. How did his revolution start? “I changed the way of working. I sent our young export team out of the office and they came back from the various markets with a different and proactive vision. I delegate a lot and use inspirational events where our team, all under 40, have fun and improve their skills. We have grown considerably. We organise trips with the international team to the world’s top wine-producing areas.”
“I have also worked on the wines, creating a distinct language for every bottle, so that each label transmits something unique and different. For example, the “11 Minutes” rosé (skin contact time); the “Brasa Coerta” Vapolicella, Pasqua’s first “natural” and sustainable wine, was a real challenge; our white “Hey French, you could have
made this but you didn’t” is made from a blend of four vintages; the Amarone “Mai dire Mai” (“Never Say Never”)is a fresh and delicate Amarone from a special vineyard that has won over international experts. The Cecilia Beretta line includes Mizzole Valpolicella Superiore and Picàie Rosso Veneto, which have benefited from the expertise of leading Italian consultant oenologist, Graziana Grassini. We have also acquired more vineyards and extended our warehouses so that the wines can mature longer in our cellars.”
We finish the tasting and go back to the maze, which is pictured on the label of Amarone Famiglia Pasqua 2013, Limited edition Labyrinth. It is part of the incredible “Talent never tasted better” project, a campaign centred on promoting young talent. Pasqua has searched for innovators, with an international vision: values and characteristics that currently reflect the company’s own. It supports and funds them so that they can achieve their dreams. With a company like this, don’t you just want to taste the wines?
Pasqua - Rosé Trevenezie IGT 11 Minutes 2019
A blend from selected parcels of native and international grape varieties: Corvina
(for floral aromas and acidity),Trebbiano di Lugana (for elegance and length), Syrah (fruitness and spiciness) and Carménère (structure and ageability).
Pasqua “Hey French, you could have made this but you didn’t” Multivintage
A blend of varietals (Garganega, Pinot Bianco and Sauvignon) from the four best vintages of the decade (2013, 2015, 2016 and 2017). Elegant and full- bodied at the same time: floral nose with hints of camomile, hazelnuts, citrus peel and tropical fruit.
Famiglia Pasqua Amarone Doc 2013, Limited edition Labyrinth Intense dark red in colour. Ample nose with aromas of blackberries and cherries and a spiciness that contains hints of chocolate and vanilla. Full- bodied and well balanced on the palate with smooth tannins and hints of appassimento on the finish.