Steeped as the wine industry is in history and tradition, championing innovative winemaking takes a singular vision. As it nears its centenary, Veneto’s esteemed Pasqua Vigneti e Cantine – renowned enough to be known simply as Pasqua Wines – is looking boldly to the future, embodying its identity as a ‘House of the Unconventional’ and melding a time-earned understanding of its Valpolicella terroir with contemporary winemaking.
This commitment is evident throughout the Pasqua Wines range – including its iconic Amarone della Valpolicella – but it shines most brightly in one of their boldest projects, Hey French. A product of Pasqua Wines’ drive to produce high-quality, daring, modern wines that capture the imagination of a new generation, the wine’s third edition expresses a quintessentially Italian gioia di vivere.
Pasqua Wines’ Hey French is Italy’s first and only multi-vintage white wine.
‘Hey French’: Italy’s first multi-vintage white
Pasqua Wines has never been afraid of being bold; the wine’s name itself – ‘Hey French: You Could Have Made This But You Didn’t’ – is a playful nod to the friendly competition between Italy and France. Launched in 2019, Hey French is Italy’s first and only multi-vintage white wine. As a novel blend of Pasqua’s best vintages of the last decade, it showcases the house’s expertise in creating complex, harmonious wines – in this case transcending single-year characteristics to capture the nuance of terroir across time. Both at home and abroad, Hey French has been recognised with industry accolades from Decanter, Wine Enthusiast and James Suckling.
The first edition was a blend of four different vintages, and now, with the release of the fourth edition, the palette of vintages included expands to eight. Hey French is a wine with great ageing potential, primarily crafted from Garganega grapes, which provide pleasing acidity and structure with floral notes and intense minerality, bolstered by Pinot Bianco and Sauvignon Blanc. The grapes are sourced from the Pasqua family’s estate on Monte Calvarina. Sitting at an elevation of 600 metres above sea level, it is one of the premier volcanic sites in Soave, characterised by its basalt-rich soil.
Hey French’s meticulous vinification makes use of controlled temperatures during fermentation to preserve its delicate aromas and flavours, and ageing takes place in a combination of stainless steel tanks and oak barrels to achieve a balance between freshness and complexity.
Pasqua Wines inspires new audiences as a patron of modern and digital art.
Winemaking as art – and wine as artwork
At Pasqua, evolution and experimentation are not only useful for the future of wine but essential. It begins with dialogue – and art is Pasqua’s favoured means of communication, as it continues to inspire new audiences at home and worldwide as a patron of modern and digital art.
The Hey French label is an artwork in itself, designed by the subversive French-Cuban artist CB Hoyo. With his provocative style, Hoyo creatively challenges the authority of artworks deemed great, mirroring the bold and innovative spirit of Pasqua Wines. Now, the winery is extending its patronage, collaborating with London’s Saatchi Gallery to support the exhibition ‘Metamorphosis: Innovation in Eco Photography & Film.’ Open to the public until 28th July 2024, the show explores themes of transformation, change and sustainability.
It forms both an extension of Pasqua Wines’ long-standing support of the arts and a celebration of it central values of innovation, creativity and culture. ‘This international collaboration builds on the winery’s strong heritage of arts patronage, its commitment to making art accessible to the public and its unique belief that innovation is born from a profound, appreciative knowledge of history and tradition,’ says CEO Riccardo Pasqua. ‘We believe that creativity needs to be cultivated with love and care, just like the land. Pasqua has spent almost a century innovating the future of wine production – and we couldn’t be more delighted with this pairing.’
Founded in 1925, Pasqua Wines’ historic Veronese winery is recognised worldwide as a producer and ambassador of prestigious Veneto wines.
An Italian artwork, with an international audience
While the wine world often seems so anxious to preserve its traditions, Pasqua Wines continues to demonstrate that innovative thinking is not only possible but offers huge rewards. Pasqua’s wines are now famed in some seventy countries – and having won the prestigious ‘Innovator of the Year’ award at Wine Enthusiast’s 24th Annual Wine Stars Awards, Pasqua looks set to add more to that list as it continues to challenge the status quo.
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