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Pasqua Vigneti e Cantine is a historic Veronese wine company, owned by the Pasqua family, founded in 1925 and recognized worldwide as a producer and representative of prestigious Veneto wines. The company's goal is to bring into the future, with updated stylistic codes, all the winemaking experience accumulated over almost 100 years of history. This is possible thanks to the combination of centuries of experience and a full understanding of the potential of the Valpolicella terroir with innovation in winemaking style. Today the company is a consolidated reality not only on our wine scene, but also on the international scene, widely represented in 72 markets around the world.
Riccardo Pasqua, 44, is the CEO of the famous wine company. In 2022, Pasqua Vigneti e Cantine was among the largest Italian wineries in export volume (more than 90%) and turnover of more than 65 million euros.
Riccardo Pasqua, your company has just received the “Innovator of the Year” award from the prestigious international magazine Wine Enthusiast, becoming the first Italian wine company to receive such recognition. What does this success mean to you?
It represents a milestone in our company’s nearly century-long history and demonstrates our desire to contribute to shaping the future of the industry through a long-sighted approach that is not afraid to ever challenge the status quo.
Where does the word “innovation” originate for Pasqua Vini?
Our company strategy is based on three fundamental principles: the pursuit of excellence in terroir’s understanding and interpretation, the adoption of innovative winemaking styles, and the use of sustainable and innovative winemaking methods. In 2018, we launched the Natural Vineyard pilot project, firmly believing that innovation starts in the vineyard. This 1.2-hectare site in Valpantena, in San Roccolo di Montorio, allowed us to experiment and introduce methods that were later applied at other vineyards. With projects like “Mai Dire Mai” (Never Say Never Again), a truly unconventional interpretation of Amarone (more vertical and stricter), or the multi-vintage “Hey French, You Could Have Made This But You Didn’t,” we changed the rules of the game in Italian winemaking. In 2022, the company also received Equalitas certification for the SOPD “Sustainable Organization Module – OS” standard, highlighting its commitment to environmental responsibility and sustainable development.
For you, innovation only exists within the vineyard? Or does it express itself in other forms?
Outside the vineyard, the winery’s attitude toward innovation manifests itself in a curiosity about worlds and languages that are close to wine, inclusive and universal, actively promoting creativity from different perspectives, with the goal of reaching new generations. In recent years, Pasqua Vini has collaborated with and supported artists and creators from all over the world in the field of digital and contemporary art: in particular, on the occasion of the last three years of Vinitaly, it commissioned special immersive installations, from Falling Dreams to AMYGDALA n, up to Luna Somnium and Superfluous.
Pasqua Vini has been implementing the concept of the Unconventional House for some time now. What do you want to communicate with this manifesto?
The statement by the Home of the Unconventional is a declaration of intent for us, defining the vision for a company characterized by bold spirit, commitment to inclusivity, and curiosity about the world. An approach that is reflected not only in the work in the basement, but also in communication, in marketing, in dialogue with worlds such as art, in the search and attempts to find new answers to the complexities of everyday reality.
How innovative can the world of wine still be today?
There are always opportunities for us to develop and grow in the world of wine. Innovation must always start from the vineyard and reach the market, using the right language to attract new generations of consumers.
Control of foreign markets is an important part of your development strategy. If you had to choose the best practice for partnerships abroad, which one would you point to?
We believe that partnerships within and outside the industry in our strategic markets are important for brand growth and commercial development. We have intensified cooperation with Italian embassies abroad, with major cultural players, with other Italian brands, such as Cipriani, Rizzoli, or Calzedonia, in a sense, as I said, in different sectors, but in accordance with our positioning. Great Britain is one of the strategic markets for our company. The best practice is undoubtedly to partner with one of the coolest brands in the English capital, Harrods, where local and international visitors can get acquainted with some of our premium brands in the Pizzeria & Pasqua space and wine shop. Our presence in the luxury retail sector of London, the third most visited city in the world, allows us to achieve an important goal at the international exhibition of the world of wine, while also reinforcing our message of excellence through our constant exploration, from innovative winemaking styles to offering original and unconventional labels. A very valuable project.
