Italy · Friuli Venezia Giulia

Bastianich

Bastianich is a winery established in Friuli Venezia Giulia's Collio and Colli Orientali zones by restaurateur Joe Bastianich and his mother Lidia in 1997, building a portfolio focused on the indigenous white varieties that distinguish northeastern Italian winemaking: Friulano, Ribolla Gialla, Refosco, and the proprietary blends Vespa Bianco and Vespa Rosso. Vespa Bianco — a blend of Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Picolit — and Vespa Rosso — a blend of Refosco, Merlot, and Schioppettino — are the estate's flagship wines and primary auction lots. At auction, 114 lots average $40 per bottle — modest, reflecting the estate's positioning in the accessible premium tier rather than as a collectible Friuli producer. The Collio and Colli Orientali appellations are among Italy's most dynamic wine zones, producing whites of extraordinary mineral precision from the ponca (alternating marl and sandstone) soils unique to the region. Bastianich's wines represent a commercially successful interpretation of Friulian character, benefiting from the restaurant and media profile of the family name. The Vespa Bianco is the more serious of the two flagships, showing genuine ponca mineral character alongside the international varieties' aromatic contribution. Critical scores are modest — typically 88–91 points — keeping the wines in the value tier.