This week, 250 cases of wine were packed on to pallets to be air-freighted to Italy.
They will be followed by a container packed with another 700 cases.
The sales success follows Mr Pasquale's attendance at the world's second largest wine show, the Vinitaly Wine Expo held in Italy, where wines on a small New Zealand stand amazed buyers.
Kurow Winery and two other New Zealand wineries were the only New Zealand companies there and, despite the size of the stand and being hidden away in the 11th of 11 buildings, long queues of people from the first day of the five-day show waited to taste the wines.
Kurow Winery has since sold pinot gris, dry riesling, gewurztraminer, pinot noir and Alma Mater aromatic white blend to be served in restaurants in Milan and other Italian cities.
Mr Pasquale also hoped to include some wine in the container for a Bavarian order, part of a plan to break into central European markets.
While this is the first shipment, Mr Pasquale will be going back to Italy to pursue further orders.
Italian is Mr Pasquale's native language and that helped achieve the breakthrough.
"You can talk about the science and details of the wine, everyone understands that, but you cannot convey the emotion," he said.
The export order was also helped by the philosophy of being a boutique winery producing high quality wines unique to the land they are grown on, shunning low-cost bulk.
"We can't follow large markets. We produce little diamonds and sell to where they appreciate little gems," he said.
There was also a misconception that the "old world" was not interested in new wines. That was shown by the reaction at the Italian show to the Kurow wines.
"The Italians were stunned by our cool climate wines from the Waitaki Valley especially, and by their clarity and minerality. They will particularly suit the fish and meat dishes of northern Italy."
Mr Pasquale was particularly pleased the Italians had ordered his pinot gris, known in their country as pinot grigio.
Pinot grigio was grown in Italy and was one of the country's most popular varieties.
"So it's a little like coals to Newcastle," he said.
The pinot noir was more European in style and the Italian national association of sommeliers liked it so much it was entirely changing the menu for its next dinner in Milan to feature it.
The Pasquale wines were being sold at a strong price.
