I’m impressed by the quality, value of these wines and their manifestation of Pasqua’s progressive spirit.
One of the key difference between “Old World” (France, Italy and Spain are top of mind for me), and “New World” (where the United States, Australia, and the South American countries of Argentina and Chile are top of mind for me) is that Old World wines are defined by rules around which grapes are permitted to be planted where, the quantity of grapes that may be harvested, and how long with wines are aged to name a few.
These rules manifest themselves in “quality” classifications seen below in the case of Italy ):
The rules can make it easier for wine buyer to know what’s in the bottle they’re buying.
But it’s a double-edged sword. The rules can also stifle a winemaker’s or a winery’s passion for creating something new, because if they want to create something outside of the framework of the rules and regulations in their region, their wines will classified in a lower quality tier (such as “IGT” in the graphic above)
Sometimes a winery’s quest for excellence compels them to break the rules and follow their passion for creating something unorthodox. Something new. Rules, regulations and classifications be damned!
Disclosure: I received these wines as a media samples. I received no compensation for this post, and all opinions presented are my own.
Pasqua Vigneti e Cantine (“Pasqua”) is such winery. Their ties to the Valpolicella and Veneto region have enabled them to establish five brands.
I had the pleasure of sampling four of their wines, three from the Romeo & Juliet brand and their 11 minutes Rosé.
Detailed tasting notes and background information from my Instagram feed are below:
Pasqua Romeo & Juliet Passione e Sentimento Bianco is an interesting wine! It is believed to be the only appassimento ( the Italian term for drying harvested grapes to concentrate sugars and flavors – think Amarone) dry white wine created by any Veneto producer. This charming wine is made 100% Garganega grapes (Yes, the same grape used to make Soave!) which were early harvested, hand-picked, then dried for around 15 days, concentrating its aromas and flavors. Following the crush, a 12-hour-plus maceration adds yet more structure and character to the wine. After vinification a portion is aged in French oak barrels for a few months.
Wishing to highlight this novel use of the appassimento technique, the Pasqua family came up with “Passimento” as a name. The authorities, not amused by the intended similarity between Passimento and appassimento, disallowed the name. So, the wines were renamed PassioneSentimento (Passion-Feeling), and the brand name is “Romeo & Juliet.” It proudly wears the IGT designation – a badge of honor for creative winemakers.
The wine is a pale straw yellow with green reflections with pear, apple, citrus, white flower and wet stone aromas. On the palate, it medium-bodied with ample pear, peach, apricot, Key lime meringue, lemon zest, and gentle spice flavors with a lively wet stone accented finish. 13% abv| SRP-$16
We paired with Asparagus, Pecorino, and Poached Egg Pappardelle by Suzanne Ledbetter of @finefoodiephilanthropist. Asparagus can be tough on wine, but it was a delightful pairing!
The 2016 Pasqua Romeo & Juliet Passione e Sentimento Rosso is the only dry red in the U.S. market made from 100% dried grapes, that is neither a Valpolicella nor an Amarone. It is a blend of 40% Merlot, 30 % Corvino, and 30% Croatina (the later two are grapes indigenous to the Valpolicella region, and used other Valpolicella wines including Amarone) After hand harvesting, the grapes are placed in small crates in the fruttaio (drying shed) for four to six weeks, until the grapes lose 15 to 30% of water content, depending on the vintage. The resulting extract exhibits a higher concentration of sugars, and more expressive richer fruit. Vinification takes place in stainless steel tanks. Thereafter it is aged around three months in second use oak tonneaux.
Wishing to highlight this novel use of the appassimento technique, the Pasqua family came up with “Passimento” as a name. The authorities, not amused by the intended similarity between Passimento and appassimento, disallowed the name. So, the wines were renamed PassioneSentimento (Passion-Feeling), and the brand name is “Romeo & Juliet.” It proudly wears the IGT designation – a badge of honor for creative winemakers.
The wine is a translucent ruby color with a purple hue and aromas of dried red cherries, plum and subtle spice. On the palate it it medium-bodied with medium-acidity and a supple texture supported by dusty tannins. It shows notes of dried red cherries, ripe raspberries, plum and spice with hint of chocolate and bit of almond on the satisfying finish. Pair with red meat, game and aged cheeses. 14%avb|SRP – $16
I’m featuring the 2018 Pasqua 11 Minutes Rosé. According to Pasqua’s winemaker, 11 minutes is the ideal length of time for contact between juice and skins for this rosé. According to the Ancient Roman poet and local hero Catullus, whose family property bordered Lake Garda, 11minutes is the optimal time for physical contact between lovers. A coincidence? Pasqua invites you to draw you own conclusion. 🍷🍷🍷
The wine is composed of a blend of indigenous and international grapes – 50% Corvina, 25% Trebbiano di Lugana, 15% Syrah, and 10% Carménère 10%.
The wine is a very pale salmon color with red fruit and floral aromatics On the palate it’s medium-bodied, dry, with mouthwatering acidity. Very nicely balanced. It shows strawberry, white peach, slightly under ripe watermelon, ruby grapefruit flavors with an interesting and appetizing blend of salinity combined with a hint of bitter almond flavors. Long finish I
‘m loving the appetizing character of this alluring wine. Makes me wish Italian Rosé wasn’t such a challeng to find. Can’t blame the Italian for keeping the lion’s share for themselves I suppose!
12.5% abv| SRP – $20 #Sample
Veneto’s Famiglia Pasqua winery was founded in 1925. In 2014 Riccardo and Alessandro Pasqua took over at the helm of winery. Over the past few years, the brothers, both in their thirties and representing the third generation of their family, have been shaking up the very solid business they inherited, introducing wines that break the rules, upping the quality, and selling the bottles using tongue-in-cheek innuendo, art installations, creative partnerships with talented artists, and graffiti-inspired labels with a puckish sense of fun.
Loving this Pasqua Romeo and Juliet Passione Sentimento Prosecco! It’s a classic Brut-style Prosecco of 100% Glera grapes, all hillside-grown in the premium Conegliano subzone of Treviso DOC. It is one of three wines in the Passione Sentimento lineup, the other two others being still white and red wines. This is my favorite of the three, but all offer wonderful value!
Here’s the story behind the wines distinctive label – Every day, three thousand love notes tell stories of passion, similar to that of Romeo and Juliet, for which Verona is the unforgettable setting. In the courtyard of Juliet’s house in Via Mazzini, where the famous “Juliet’s balcony” is one of the most visited destinations of the city. There you will find the signatures of visitors adorn the home of the most famous lovers in the world. All this is told in the label: a photo taken by Giò Martorana, Unesco Prize for Photography, which portrays the daily messages left by lovers on the walls of the famous Courtyard. We had the pleasure of visiting Verona and experiencing this for ourselves a few years ago.
The wine is a very pale straw color with green highlights and quince, lime zest and ocean breeze aromas. On the palate it’s very dry and fresh with zesty acidity and a moderately creamy mousse with very appealing fresh quince, Fuji apple, lemon and lime zest flavors accented with a bit of honey and a very appealing tanginess with a kiss of minerality, and satisfying finish. This bubbly has an appetizing character that Is atypical for Prosecco in my experience. 11% abv|SRP – $16 #Sample
I’m impressed by the quality, value of these wines and their manifestation of Pasqua’s progressive spirit. I think you will be too. They are definitely wines worth seeking out!
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