-Passito di Pantelleria “Fuori Carta”: Pasqua reimagines the Passito tasting experience

At the Italian Embassy in Paris, a global reference point for fine dining and culinary innovation, Pasqua Wines unveiled “Fuori Carta”, a new pairing concept that disrupts the traditional Passito tasting paradigm in favor of a vision rooted in total food-pairing versatility.

Challenging established wine categories by highlighting their most contemporary expressive possibilities has always been part of Pasqua Wines’ DNA. The winery applies this philosophy not only to its own labels, but also to projects that share a vision, sensibility, and creative direction aligned with its core values. This approach is at the core of Pasqua Wines’ recent investment in Sangue d’Oro, a Passito di Pantelleria DOC produced by style icon Carole Bouquet. A decision rooted in a shared vision: to safeguard the winegrowing culture from which it originates, while at the same time pushing research beyond customary boundaries and reinventing its modes of consumption.

This is a project of cultural promotion rather than a purely entrepreneurial venture. Pasqua’s intention is to lend new voice, visibility, and opportunity to a community that unites ancient gestures with contemporary courage to give life to a wine of singular identity. A wine that today, through the stylistic lens that defines Pasqua, becomes the protagonist of a radical, unconventional reinterpretation of its ritual of consumption.

Within the Embassy’s salons, on the opening evening of Wine Paris, Pasqua welcomed a select audience of international media, figures from the entertainment world, and institutional representatives to A Sicilian Interlude. Guests were immersed in the evocative setting of an original 18th-century Sicilian theatre, brought to Paris from Palermo in the early 20th century.

The aromatic depth and structure of Sangue d’Oro underscore its remarkable versatility, equally compelling as an aperitif and capable of surprising pairings from appetizers through dessert, across a wide range of cuisines and gastronomic cultures.

Sangue d’Oro’s new spirit was expressed through two distinct modes of dialogue. The first was culinary, featuring the 2018 and 2022 vintages paired with a diverse selection of dishes, most notably a chocolate cake with capers and caviar created by renowned two-Michelin-starred chef Bruno Verjus. The second was oenological, highlighting the seamless coherence between Carole Bouquet’s winemaking project and the broader vision of the Veronese winery.

At the Italian Embassy, Pasqua also poured two of its most original and visionary labels: Hey French You Could Have Made This But You Didn’t Fourth Edition, Italy’s first multi-vintage white wine, and Fear No Dark 2020, the most radical expression of the Mai Dire Mai line dedicated to Amarone della Valpolicella.

Welcoming guests, Italy’s Ambassador to Paris, Emanuela D’Alessandro, emphasized how initiatives like this offer a unique platform to promote the culture and excellence of Made in Italy abroad, particularly in France – which, she reflects, is “a crucial market for Italian exports and a country with which Italy shares a deep and longstanding relationship.” The Ambassador adds, “I am truly delighted to host, within the Embassy’s Sicilian theatre, such a symbolic event; a new, symbolic Italo-French and Mediterranean dialogue centered on one of our most historic shared passions: wine—its history, tradition, and deeper meaning.”

Andrea Pasqua, Head of Business Development states, “From the very beginning, we knew that Sangue d’Oro was meant to exist outside rigid rules and predefined roles. It is deeply traditional yet unmistakably contemporary, a wine shaped by time, wind, and human touch, but not confined to a single moment of the meal.” Pasqua adds, “When we discussed restoring Passito di Pantelleria to its rightful place at the center of the conversation, Carole immediately embraced the idea. With ‘Fuori Carta,’ we can more powerfully express that the true strength of Sangue d’Oro lies in the emotion it creates.”

“When I imagined Sangue d’Oro, I envisioned a wine meant to surprise, accompany, and be shared freely,” said Carole Bouquet. “It doesn’t ask to be defined, but to be experienced. I love how it evolves alongside food, and seeing it paired in many unexpected ways is deeply moving, it’s in those moments that the wine truly finds its freedom.”

With the Sangue d’Oro project, Pasqua reaffirms its commitment to reinterpreting Italy’s great wines through a contemporary lens, one that respects their identity while engaging new generations of wine consumers.