Winemaking is an art born of centuries of tradition. In Italy it even stretches back millennia—to the times of Roman antiquity. Riccardo Pasqua is certainly no stranger to traditionalism. As the CEO of Pasqua Winery in the Veneto region of Northern Italy, he is the third generation steward of the family business. And that business is booming. But to bring on that level of success he also had to challenge a few norms along the way.

With the release of 11 Minutes rosé he dared to give Italian grapes a treatment typically reserved for pink wines of southern France. In 2020 he oversaw the release of a norm-shattering multi-vintage white wine from the Soave DOC. This time he very explicitly baited francophiles by titling the liquid, “Hey French, You Could Have Made This But You Didn’t!”