-10 YEARS OF ICONS: PASQUA VINI TRANSFORMS THE UNCONVENTIONAL INTO A NEW CLASSIC

Verona, 22 September 2025 – With the creation of Icons, a collection of wines that represent its most innovative, ambitious and disruptive spirit, Pasqua Vini has brought new perspectives on the world of wine to the attention of the wine community. Considered visionary and radical at their debut, these expressions are now regarded by critics as established realities on the wine scene, demonstrating the strength of Pasqua’s vision.

Pioneering interpretations such as Mai Dire Mai, Hey French, 11 Minutes, Cecilia Beretta and Famiglia Pasqua have codified identity and history in a new, innovative language. These labels were the protagonists of the winery’s centenary celebrations with the Ode al Futuro project, the book that celebrates its history and vision, and are the most awarded wines by industry guides and critics.

The awarding of the Tre Bicchieri by the Guida Vini d’Italia 2026 to the Amarone della Valpolicella Terre di Cariano 2018 Cecilia Beretta is the most recent prize awarded by Gambero Rosso at Pasqua Wines. Mai Dire Mai has already achieved this important milestone with the 2016, 2015, 2013, 2012 and 2011 vintages, demonstrating how much – since its inception – this project has impressed critics with its ability to offer an original, more austere and vertical – but at the same time faithful – interpretation of Amarone della Valpolicella. In 2024, Gambero Rosso awarded Tre Bicchieri to Amarone della Valpolicella Cascina San Vincenzo Famiglia Pasqua 2018, which once again codifies the potential of the territory through organic farming.

Over the years, Mai Dire Mai has won important awards (including international ones) for the vintages listed below: among the awards for the 2016 vintage, 94 points from the Veronelli Guide, 93 points from Luca Maroni’s Guide to the Best Wines of Italy and 91 points from James Suckling; for 2015, 95 points from DoctorWine and 93 from Falstaff – Amarone Trophy; for 2013, the gold star from Vini Buoni d’Italia, 93 points from Wine Enthusiast and 91 from James Suckling; for 2012, 96 points from Decanter; Finally, for the 2011 vintage, it received 93 points from James Suckling and 92 from Wine Enthusiast. With Fear No Dark 2020, the most radical interpretation of the Monte Vegro vineyard – from which Mai Dire Mai is produced – it also received 94 points from DoctorWine and 93 points from Decanter.

Terre di Cariano Cecilia Beretta, with the 2017 vintage, obtained 94 points from Luca Maroni’s Guide to the Best Wines of Italy and 93 points from the Veronelli Guide; the 2016 vintage received, among others, 5 Grappoli from Bibenda, the gold medal at the WineHunter Awards and 95 points from Decanter, while the 2015 vintage achieved 94 points from Wine Advocate and 92 from James Suckling and, with the 2013 vintage, 93 points from Falstaff – Amarone Trophy.

Hey French, You Could Have Made It But You Didn’t, with which Pasqua Vini paved the way in Italy for multi-vintage blends of still wines, has made a name for itself with its four releases in global guides: the first and second editions received 92 points from James Suckling and Falstaff, respectively, among others; the third edition stood out with a gold medal for best Veneto IGT white wine from Wow-Civiltà del Bere, 94 points from Luca Maroni and 93 points from Wine Enthusiast; the fourth edition received the gold label from WineHunter Award and 92 points from Decanter.

11 Minutes, the winery’s first rosé, in addition to the 90 points awarded by Vinum for the latest vintage, 2024, had achieved 91 points for 2023 from Vinous, from Falstaff for 2022, from James Suckling and Decanter for 2021, from Decanter World Wine Awards for the 2020 vintage and finally, again from Decanter, for both the 2019 and 2017 vintages.

Alongside innovative projects, Pasqua Wines remains rooted in the land and its identity with Famiglia Pasqua, the signature wine of the first generation, which has always received significant scores and awards from guides: the 2011 Amarone della Valpolicella Famiglia Pasqua achieved 90 points from Wine Spectator; the 2012 edition received 90 points from Wine Enthusiast; the 2013 vintage won Gambero Rosso’s Tre Bicchieri and 90 points and Best of 2018 from Wine Enthusiast; the latter publication also awarded 93 points to the 2015 vintage, while the same score was awarded by Decanter, in the following edition, to the 2016 vintage; Decanter also judged Amarone della Valpolicella Famiglia Pasqua 2017 Best Wine of the Year with 97 points; James Suckling awarded 92 points to the 2018 vintage, which also received 94 points from the Veronelli guide; the 2019 vintage earned 94 points from Wine Enthusiast and 95 from DoctorWine, which also awarded the same score to the 2020 vintage.

Umberto Pasqua, president of Pasqua Vini, commented on the awards won by the iconic labels: “In the first 100 years of our winery’s activity, we have always set ourselves the goal of expressing the richness and variety of our terroir’s wine heritage with a distinctive voice, believing in the value of tradition without fear of evolution. We have presented high-quality and very bold projects. We are very pleased with the appreciation of our wines by industry opinion leaders.”

Riccardo Pasqua, CEO of the winery, echoes this sentiment: ‘We believe that innovation is essential in order to write new pages in our history. Investments in quality have been our springboard. What were once considered visionary proposals have now become new benchmarks, capable of competing on equal terms with the big names in the industry.’