There is a precise moment when two trajectories meet and, instead of overlapping, begin to resonate, giving birth to something truly innovative. This fatal encounter is the one between Pasqua and the famous Washington State winemaker, Charles Smith.
From this fortunate partnership a wine was born that also inspired an art project, presented at the last Vinitaly. Pasqua + Smith Pinot Noir, a blend of the 2018, 2022, 2023 and 2025 vintages, is the new chapter of the prestigious collaboration between the American winemaker and the Veronese company. The winery has made innovation a guiding motif of recent years, becoming since 2025 the exclusive global distributor of the House of Smith brands, including K Vintners, Sex and Real Wine, of which it is also a minority partner.
Innovation is concreteness
With Pasqua + Smith Pinot Noir, the Old and New World symbolically meet. On one hand, there is a vineyard in Valpolicella with its history, know-how and beauty, and on the other, a winemaking choice oriented towards the fullness of the fruit, typical of overseas production. This represents a radical new vision of Pinot Noir and the extraordinary vineyard from which it originates. The courage to do something new starts from afar, from the vineyard itself.
Cultivating Pinot Noir in Valpolicella was a revolutionary but crucial challenge to create a unique wine project. “Innovation cannot only be declared, it must also be demonstrated with projects, and Pasqua + Smith Pinot Noir is the answer to this promise”, comments CEO Riccardo Pasqua. “Charles Smith, his vision, his gaze free from prejudice and his dedication to quality, have always been a great inspiration, and to his mastery we add our experience in multi-vintage blends, our strongest innovative expression.”
A wine that unites two worlds
The clay that makes up to 50% of the soil of the 9-hectare Campiano vineyard, located above San Giovanni Ilarione, provides a specific foundation. The continuous breeze that caresses the vines, the altitude of 600 meters above sea level and the temperature variations imprint a precise character and personality on the wine. The vines, between 20 and 30 years old, are distributed over multiple plots with south-west exposure, capturing the light and returning it in depth and finesse.
The forest surrounding the vineyard creates a unique microclimate that is fresh and airy, protected and at the same time open. The ripening of the grapes is slow and progressive, accompanied by important temperature variations that favor the aromatic synthesis and build an elegant, precise and vibrant profile. “I accepted the challenge because I saw the opportunity to do something never done before, even knowing that collaborations can be very complex”, adds Charles Smith.
“When you work without preconceptions, interesting things always happen, and the result is pure energy, a wine that does not want to imitate anyone, but simply be authentic.” It takes the depth of the Old World and pushes it towards something more immediate, alive and accessible.
Resonance: when wine inspires art
This wine project and especially the collaboration between Riccardo Pasqua, his family and the American winemaker Charles Smith was the inspiration for Resonance. This immersive art installation signed by Sara Ricciardi occupied the Monastero di Palazzo Maffei in Verona during the days of Vinitaly, dedicated to the value of collaboration as a generating force for new ideas and projects. At the center of the work is a geode about 4 meters high that splits open to reveal something new.
Resonance is a powerful reflection on the concept of resonance, the invisible force that brings ideas, people and geographies into dialogue, amplifying what is put into relation. “I imagined Resonance as a living organism, capable of visually and symbolically returning what happens when two identities enter into a deep relationship”, explains Sara Ricciardi. “The rock opens, allows itself to be crossed, and in that crack something unexpected and precious is born.”
“In this very difficult historical moment, it is an invitation to seek the beauty that comes from differences, a great wealth to build new possible worlds.” Sara Ricciardi is an artist and creative director, owner of the Pataspazio studio in Milan, where she designs products for companies, limited edition pieces for art-design galleries, and creates performances, interiors and installations.
Artistic patronage
The winery, which for a decade has conveyed its values and wine projects using that free, original and disruptive language typical of new expressive forms, continues to invest in the talent and creativity of new actors on the contemporary art scene. On this occasion, it does so by giving voice to the project developed by Sara Ricciardi and her Studio, selected through an open call promoted at the beginning of the year that saw over 200 artists from all over the world send their applications.
“We are witnessing a new interest in wine, even from new generations, when we offer them the opportunity to feel involved, not just educated, and this new artistic collaboration goes exactly in this direction”, concludes Riccardo Pasqua. “We want to offer a message of quality through our wine, stimulating an open and exciting conversation around the values it represents.” And they do it through an art installation inspired by these same values of creativity, collaboration and confrontation.
Key Points
- Innovative wine collaboration unites Pasqua and Charles Smith to create a unique Valpolicella-grown Pinot Noir blend.
- Old and New World winemaking traditions merge, emphasizing fruit fullness and deep historical vineyard know-how.
- Immersive art installation named Resonance, created by Sara Ricciardi, was inspired by this dynamic winemaking partnership.
- Artistic patronage continues as the winery invests in contemporary talent to engage new generations of wine enthusiasts.
