Pasqua unveils result of Washington collaboration at Vinitaly

By Andrew Catchpole

Published: 17 April, 2026

Prominent Veneto producer Pasqua Vigneti e Cantine has officially launched its new QuattroMani Pinot Noir, resulting from an ongoing collaboration with feted Washington winemaker Charles Smith of House of Smith.

Unveiled at a lively event in the historic Palazzo Maffei in the heart of Verona during Vinitaly, the wine’s name – four hands – plays on the four-vintages blend of 2018, 2022, 2023 and 2025 that inform the wine, drawn from a 9ha plantation of Pinot Noir some 600 metres up in the Valpolicella region.

Speaking at the launch event, Riccardo Pasqua, CEO of Pasqua (pictured, right), joked that Smith, who is especially well known for making superlative Syrahs in Washington State, and more latterly Pinot Noir, at first turned down an approach to collaborate with an unequivocal “no”, in a way that “left no room for interpretation”.

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However, backed by his family winery’s well-established track record of innovation, Pasqua finally won Smith around, with a view to fusing what he described as New World and Old World philosophies.

“Pasqua had never done Pinot Noir, and Charles had great experience in the Pinot Noir space, so I called him up this time and it worked, the beauty of this vineyard convinced him, so we started working on the wine.”

Smith (pictured, left), who had flown over for the launch, added: “I dream of wine, and my dream brought me to Verona, it introduced me to the Pasqua family, and to the innovation and the ideas and aspirations of being completely dialled in and being emotionally and intellectually curious to meet the moment.”

According to Pasqua, the resulting Pinot Noir “signals a move away from regional convention”, with its character reflective of the cooler high altitude site of the Campiano vineyard, where the 20–30-year-old vines sit on clay and limestone soils.

Pasqua is known for its multi-vintage approach to winemaking, with this latest release billed by the company as “a creative act that brings into dialogue the historical depth of Valpolicella with the free, instinctive energy of Washington State”.

“Innovation cannot simply be declared; it must be demonstrated through projects – QuattroMani is the answer to that promise,” said Pasqua.

For his part, Smith concluded: "I accepted the challenge because I saw the opportunity to do something never done before, while knowing that collaborations can be complex.

“When you work without preconceptions, interesting things always happen. QuattroMani is pure energy: a Pinot Noir that doesn’t aim to imitate anyone, but simply to be authentic. It takes the depth of the Old World and pushes it towards something more immediate, alive and accessible.”

Pasqua has a long-standing relationship with Corney & Barrow in the UK, with Majestic also long having carried Pasqua wines, and with 40,000 bottles made in this first vintage, the wines are expected to debut here in the summer.

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