2016 Bastianich Vespa Bianco Venezia Giulia IGT 750 ml

The Bastianich name is synonymous with some of the greatest Italian-American cooking in the country. The world-famous chef Lidia Bastianich and her culinary power broker son Joe run legendary red-sauce establishments from coast to coast, including the four-star Del Posto, Babbo, and Eataly Los Angeles.

What you’ll find poured tableside at each of those hotspots is the flagship bottle of the Bastianich winery: Vespa Bianco, called “one of the great white wines of northeast Italy” and “a landmark wine that is symbolic of the region’s immense wine potential” by Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate.

The 2016 Vespa Bianco is intellectual in its complexity and rigor, yet sensuous on the palate, combining the oily unctuousness of a Northern Rhône white with the crispness and aromatic sweep of Sauvignon Blanc. Stone fruit, candied lemon, and white flowers spill out of the glass to mouthwatering effect. 

Earning a gushing 94+ points from Wine Advocate, it’s an essential purchase for lovers of rich, full-bodied, ageworthy whites—especially at our low price of $33. That’s 21% off the list price of $42, and a fraction of the price (roughly $85) you’d pay at Del Posto. 

“This is a beautiful blend,” says Parker’s publication. “The wine shines with bright intensity and possesses remarkable balance. There is a nice creaminess to the texture, and it has inner firmness and tightness that bodes well for the way the wine will evolve over the next few years.” 

The Vespa Bianco is one of the exemplars of the Friulian “Super-Whites”—a class of wines that first rose to prominence in the 80s and 90s, blending international grapes with varieties indigenous to Friuli. Joe Bastianich purchased vineyards in the prestigious Collio Orientale DOC in 1997, and the following year released the first Vespa Bianco, a Chardonnay-Sauvignon-Picolit blend named after the wasps that buzz through the vines.

Possessing an almost encyclopedic knowledge of Italy’s wine regions (he co-authored the seminal book Vino Italiano), Joe wanted to showcase the dazzling array of viticulture from Friuli, which Italians regard as the source of the country’s greatest biancos. In this warm, southeastern corner of Friuli, conditions are practically tailor-made for wines of uncommon longevity and depth.

Positioned between the Julian Alps and the Northern Adriatic, the vines benefit from lengthy sunshine and warmth, offset by the sea’s chilly maritime influence. Clay and stone soils in the hills of Buttrio, Premariacco, and Cividale lend the Vespa Bianco its minerality and salinity and help keep vines cool, aiding rich phenolic maturation. 

A total steal at just $33, this is a bottle worthy of pouring alongside four-star fare, and one with the grace and elegance to cellar for years.