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‘It finds a lot of wine lovers’: Pasqua Wines explains Pinot Grigio success

13 September 2024 By Michael Huband

Pasqua Wines reflects on the enduring appeal of its Pinot Grigio Delle Venezie, as well as how it is meeting emerging challenges in the region.

Pasqua Wines, a 99-year-old producer in northern Italy, produces many of the most famous wines of northeast Italy. Although best known for its Valpolicella wines, it also produces wines from the small appellations of Soave, Bardolino and Lugana. Like so many in the region, it also produces under the larger banners of Prosecco DOC and Pinot Grigio Delle Venezie DOC.

That second appellation offers something quite different to the rest of the portfolio. According to the winery, Pinot Grigio Delle Venezie offers a huge range of terroirs and winemaking options.

“The DOC Delle Venezie covers a quite large and broad area, spanning across plains, hills, and foothills, and covers diverse terroirs,” explains Pasqua Wines. “Smaller DOC areas in Italy don’t have such variations that can influence grape development and contribute to the subtle differences in wines produced across the DOC zone.”

With approximately 27,000 hectares of vineyards spread over 32,000km2, the region offers variety as one of its key selling points. With a mixture of altitudes and aspects, as well as soils that range from alluvial deposits to marl to clay, producers are able to select sites or grapes that best match their intentions. Put simply, the winery brands it a “very versatile” grape.

Yet there are recognisable hallmarks, which have turned Pinot Grigio into a global phenomenon. For the company, international popularity has boosted the region; like Sauvignon Blanc, it has a large following around the world. “Pinot Grigio has a very well-defined style and the DOC Delle Venezie makes a dry and elegant wine. It finds a lot of wine lovers.”

Addressing new challenges

That popularity can be a double-edged sword. For Pasqua Wines, one of the key challenges in producing Pinot Grigio Delle Venezie is a crowded market: “Pinot Grigio’s global popularity has led to overproduction and competition, putting pressure on prices for DOC Delle Venezie producers.”

Producers in the region are also, like so many winemakers, contending with climate change. As a style dependent on refreshing acidity, a warmer climate runs the risk of grapes becoming too ripe. Moreover, unpredictable weather patterns can dramatically impact the year’s harvest, whether hailstorms, drought or heat.

Yet the outlook at Pasqua Wines is fundamentally optimistic, thanks largely to the region and grape’s versatility. There is plenty of scope in grape growing and winemaking to mitigate such challenges.

At Pasqua Wines, both challenges are being met by honing in on its trademark style. “We are focusing on quality and a style of Pinot Grigio that is precise and elegant. We are harvesting earlier to ensure high acidity and conservation of the aromas.”

“Also we are experimenting with fermentation, lees contacts and blending which may help give the Pinot Grigio Luna a more complex and interesting style.”

That wine, the Cecilia Beretta Pinot Grigio Luna, is the company’s proudest expression of its Pinot Grigio Delle Venezie. Described as “a sort of mirror of the territory”, it is made from the most representative terroirs, with all vineyards due to complete organic conversion in 2026.

With its aromas of pears, apples and citrus, the winemaking team sees it as “perfect as an apéritif and with a light starter based on fish or white meat.” No wonder, then, that it is one of the producer’s best-selling wines; its easy-going charm is testament to the versatility and approachability that defines Pinot Grigio Delle Venezie DOC.