Luca Paschina shares his passion for Virginia winemaking and the journey that led him to become a pioneer in the region

Words by Nicole Letts
Photos by Rob Scharetg

In Virginia, winemakers speak of Luca Paschina with reverence. They'll tell you it was Paschina who mentored, encouraged, and praised them as they embarked on their winemaking journey. Gianni Zonin likely impacted his interest in the next generation. Zonin is considered the father of Virginia wine and is responsible for putting the region on the American Viticultural Area (AVA) map. He’s also the owner of Barboursville Vineyards where Paschina is the head winemaker. 

I met Paschina for the first time over two years ago. Even as a busy man with a demanding schedule, he sat down with me for a two-hour-plus lunch at Palladio, the winery’s onsite restaurant, directing the menu and the corresponding wine pairings as a conductor would orchestrate his band. Wine flowed, and he guided each course with balance. I dined with him again exactly one year later when The Omni Homestead Resort hosted a Virginia wine dinner alongside Michael Shaps. Finally, I sat across from Paschina once more this past April. Each time, he radiated warmth and passion for his craft. I’m delighted to introduce you to him below—the Italian-born second-generation winemaker who has helped shape Virginia’s wine culture since 1997. 

How did you end up in Virginia? 

I wanted to get out of Italy. Everything is already preordered—what you grow, and what you do. I wanted to go to a place that had a wild environment. I'm an outdoorsman. I like to fish. I like to hunt. I like to garden. I started working as a consultant, and my first assignment was with the Italian family that established this estate, Barboursville. My task was to produce a great bottle of wine. I convinced them to scrap their vineyard and start over. I’ve been here since 1990, and the first great bottle came in 1997. 

What is it like to make wine in a place like Virginia that is less rigid and has fewer rules?

I can plant anything here, and I have the freedom to do many things. To me, it’s so much fun. I also got to be a part of a region yet to be established. It felt great, and I persisted. Let me put it this way: I wouldn’t have stayed here if we were just going to make tourist wine. Frequently in my conversations with people about this place and what I do here, I say I'm the first generation. But it's going to be even greater [eventually] because we have winemakers from all over the world. They’re extremely talented with new ideas and new opportunities for experimentation. In Virginia, we have a wine research exchange that is funded partially by the state. When consumers buy a bottle of Virginia wine or cider, they pay 30 cents of taxes. This money is reverted for wine and cider education, research, and marketing. It's over two million dollars annually. 

Do you still find yourself experimenting?

I am to the extent where I don't want to put the experiment ahead of the winemaking. I don’t want to create an odd blend just to be different. I don't have to prove I can plant two things I’ve never done before. Any experimentation I do, I give a lot of thought—sometimes years—before I do it. I am not planting new varietals anymore because I'm not interested in doing that. We've experimented with 35 varietals through the years, but now we're down to a core group of 17.

You are best known for your Octagon wine, a bottle created by blending estate-grown Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Petit Verdot. But my personal favorite is your Paxxito, a dessert wine. Can you tell me about the process for making it?

It’s made with grapes that are air-dried. Moscat Ottonel and Vidal grapes are picked and then stored in a barn to dry. The grapes essentially turn into raisins before being pressed for juice. It has been selected as a top wine at many competitions, and it has won the Virginia Governor's Cup. It’s a very ancient method of winemaking. If you look back at the history of wine, the most valuable wines were sweet wines.

Are you interested in retiring? 

I don't have the clock ticking, but I may, at some point, step down a little bit. I'm a unique beast because I've been here for 34 years, and I've seen everything, but there's going to be a new generation, and that’s exciting. 

What do you hope this wine region will be like in the future?

In the next decade or two, we're going to see more and more people focusing on quality. When your entertainment is more important than your wine, you're not obliged to work hard to get a great bottle of wine. I think that there is a shift coming. People will research where the best parcel for grapes is and raise the bar even more.