Pasqua Passimento Bianco

Pasqua Passimento Bianco is a dry white wine from Veneto, Italy, made from partially dried Garganega grapes, bottled at 13% ABV in a 750ml format. Widely regarded as the only dry white produced by a Veneto winery using the appassimento technique, this expression earned 91 points from James Suckling and 90 points from Vinous on its 2019 vintage.

Quick Facts: ABV: 13%  |  Origin: Veneto, Italy  |  Style: Dry White (Appassimento Method)  |  Producer: Pasqua

Production & Heritage

Pasqua is a family-owned winery based in the Valpolicella area of Veneto, a region historically famous for its red appassimento wines like Amarone. For the Passimento Bianco, the Pasqua family adapted the traditional drying process to Garganega grapes — the same variety behind Soave — allowing them to lose approximately 20 to 30 percent of their weight before fermentation. This concentrates sugars and aromatics while still yielding a dry finished wine. After pressing, the juice is left on its skins for additional texture and body, and a portion undergoes oak aging for added creaminess. The result is a fuller, more complex white than typical Veneto offerings, occupying a category essentially of its own among Italian whites.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: The nose opens with intense citrus — tangerine and lemon peel — before shifting to dried apricot, white peach, and a subtle almond note. Underneath, there are dried florals and a faint minerality reminiscent of wet slate.

Taste: On entry, the wine is soft and enveloping, with ripe melon and yellow apple giving way to honeyed tropical fruit at mid-palate — papaya, guava, and pineapple all register clearly. A rich, almost creamy mouthfeel from the skin contact and partial oak aging is balanced by bright, refreshing acidity and a sour lime twang that keeps everything taut and focused.

Finish: Medium-to-long, turning more mineral and dry as it fades, with lingering candied fruit and a hint of Turkish delight sweetness. The texture stays rounded through the close, giving the wine a satisfying weight uncommon in Italian whites at this level.

How to Drink Passimento Bianco

Serve lightly chilled, around 10–12°C (50–54°F), in a wide-bowled white wine glass to let its concentrated aromatics open fully. The wine's inherent richness and body make it versatile beyond simple sipping. A White Negroni benefits from its honeyed depth and bitter-edge acidity. A White Wine Spritz plays off the tropical fruit character with sparkling water and a citrus garnish. In a Hugo Spritz, the Passimento Bianco contributes more body and dried-fruit complexity than a standard Prosecco base.

Best For

• Introducing wine-curious drinkers to the appassimento method through a white expression
• Pairing with rich seafood or creamy pasta dishes at a dinner party
• Gifting to an Italian wine enthusiast looking for something genuinely unusual
• Serving as a conversation-starting aperitivo at summer gatherings

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Passimento Bianco taste like? Passimento Bianco delivers rich dried apricot, honey, and tropical fruit flavors balanced by bright citrus acidity and a mineral, slightly creamy finish. The appassimento drying process gives it a fuller body than most Italian dry whites.

How does Passimento Bianco compare to Soave? Both wines are made from Garganega grapes grown in Veneto, but Soave is fermented from freshly harvested fruit, resulting in a lighter, crisper profile. Passimento Bianco's partial grape drying concentrates its flavors and body significantly, producing a richer, more textured wine with dried-fruit and honeyed notes that Soave typically lacks.

Is Passimento Bianco good for sipping neat? Yes — its concentrated fruit, balanced acidity, and creamy texture make it engaging on its own, especially when served lightly chilled. It rewards slower sipping as the aromatics develop and shift in the glass.

Where is Passimento Bianco made? Passimento Bianco is produced by the Pasqua family winery in the Valpolicella area of Veneto, northeastern Italy. The region is famous for Amarone and Ripasso reds, but this white expression applies the same appassimento grape-drying tradition to Garganega.

What foods pair well with Passimento Bianco? Its richness pairs well with seared scallops, where the wine's acidity cuts through the caramelized sweetness. Creamy risotto or pasta with a butter-sage sauce matches its round texture. Aged cheeses like Asiago or Parmigiano-Reggiano echo its concentrated flavor. Thai green curry or mildly spiced coconut-based dishes complement the tropical fruit notes, and roasted chicken with herbs finds balance alongside its weight and minerality.

What sizes does Passimento Bianco come in? Passimento Bianco is widely available in the standard 750ml bottle format.

Is Passimento Bianco worth the price? Passimento Bianco positions as an accessible, everyday-premium white wine that punches above its price tier in complexity, largely because the appassimento drying process adds a layer of depth and body rarely found at comparable price points. Its 91-point James Suckling rating reinforces strong quality-to-value standing.

Why Passimento Bianco?

What distinguishes Passimento Bianco from virtually every other dry white on the market is a production method borrowed from one of Italy's most revered red wine traditions. Pasqua is believed to be the only Veneto producer making a dry white via appassimento, a technique that partially dries the Garganega grapes before fermentation to concentrate flavor without tipping into sweetness. Critical recognition backs up the concept — 91 points from James Suckling and 90 from Vinous confirm this is more than a novelty. For anyone seeking an Italian white with genuine richness, textural complexity, and a story that goes beyond the glass, this expression stands alone in its category.