Joe Bastianich to produce wine in Sicily in partnership with a major olive oil company. Here's the project

by Carlotta Sanviti

A dinner in New York, filled with stories of intertwined lives, shared passions, promises of future collaborations, and a bottle of 2002 Barolo Conterno Monfortino. From that meeting, Cutrera@Bastianich was born, a venture between Salvatore Cutrera, a renowned producer of extra virgin olive oil in Sicily, and Joe Bastianich, the most feared judge on MasterChef. The two long-time friends have finally formalized their partnership to produce wine in Sicily, in Chiaramonte Gulfi, in the province of Ragusa. Although not yet officially on the market, Cutrera@Bastianich has clear ideas about their future company: "Our company is new and young, full of energy and projects. We already have about 15 hectares and have just purchased new land situated at 500-600 meters above sea level," Bastianich tells Gambero Rosso, "Our idea of wine is to produce at high altitudes. Besides the intrinsic quality, sustainability must be taken into account."

From Olive Oil Tradition to Wine

The Cutrera family is world-renowned for their production of extra virgin olive oil, awarded 'tre foglie' in the Gambero Rosso Guide to Olive Oils, and exported to over 50 countries. Six generations of people who have managed to combine quality and quantity, becoming a reference point for Sicily and a model for Italian olive oil businesses. Now, with the arrival of Joe Bastianich, an entrepreneur and iconic figure in the food and wine sector, the focus also shifts to wine production, which is not unfamiliar to the Cutreras: "My family's history really begins with wine at the end of the nineteenth century when we owned one of the most important vineyards in the Ragusa area. We produced must for the French," Salvatore Cutrera explains to Gambero. The new Cutrera@Bastianich winery will be located in the old family winery, maintaining a strong connection to the past.
"It was natural for me to engage with Joe from the first moment," Cutrera continues, "not only because he is a great professional, connoisseur, and enthusiast of the wine world, but also because of the experience gained over the past twenty-five years in the creation and growth of the Bastianich family wineries: in the Colli Orientali del Friuli (Cantina Bastianich) as well as in Maremma Toscana (La Mozza). I couldn't think of a better partner – and friend."

A Thirty-Year Friendship

"It all started with a phone call in the middle of the night, almost 30 years ago. I answered and heard a voice saying - Hi, I'm Joe Bastianich calling you from New York because I would like to import your extra virgin olive oil for our restaurants," Salvatore Cutrera recounts, "Since that day, we have done many things and spent several moments together." Over the years, Salvatore has become a real reference point for Joe, especially in Sicily, both for the oil and for their shared great love for the island, where young Bastianich traveled extensively in the nineties, also working in the wineries of Ignazio Miceli. "I had an idea that I wanted to develop in this land and talking about it with Salvatore over dinner, we began to imagine reviving their old family winery and founding an agricultural company dedicated to producing historical Sicilian grape varieties," Bastianich says, so the project to produce wine in Sicily could only be accompanied by his friend Salvatore.

Harvest and Drought

It has been clear for months that Sicily is experiencing a significant drought in 2024, with severe repercussions on crops and harvests, with significantly lower precipitation in autumn and winter compared to seasonal averages, forcing many wineries on the island to bring forward the harvest by almost a month. But Salvatore Cutrera recounts the difficult year with great positivity for his harvest, explaining: "The vineyard and the olive tree have always been part of our territory. Our vineyards are currently not irrigated, so the root system goes deep, managing to cope with prolonged drought. And as is well known, vines in challenging years manage to give their best. We are in a hot and dry year. To be the perfect year, if August does its job, with average temperatures and night temperature fluctuations, we are facing an exceptional year."

Company Philosophy

Sealing the deep bond between Joe and Salvatore is the company name, Cutrera@Bastianich, where the at symbol represents the union between the two families. "We can't reveal much yet," say the new partners, but regarding the selected grape varieties "we have focused on wines representative of the territory, such as Grillo, Cerasuolo di Vittoria, Nero D’Avola, and Frappato... but we have many ideas and projects in mind." We just have to wait, and in the meantime, Joe reassures, "We haven't launched the company on the market yet; it will take a few more months, but just know that we will see – or rather drink – some great things!"