Italian Wine Estates Dominate the 2026 Golden Vines Charity Auction

Italian wine estates are among the leading attractions in the 2026 Golden Vines Online Auction, a charity sale that combines rare bottles with private visits, tastings and dinners at some of the best-known wineries in Europe. The online auction, which benefits the Gérard Basset Foundation, is open and will close Nov. 8. Organizers said that as of Thursday, Nov. 5, it had raised £122,300. They also said the 2025 edition brought in more than $1.4 million.

The foundation was created to honor Gérard Basset, who died in 2019 and was widely respected in the wine world. It funds education, training and mentoring programs in wine, spirits and hospitality, with a stated goal of improving inclusion in those fields.

Italian producers have a particularly strong presence in the 2026 catalog. The top Italian lot comes from Biondi-Santi’s Tenuta Greppo in Montalcino, where the winning bidder will receive a 6-liter bottle of Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2019 along with a private visit to the estate and vineyards. The experience also includes access to “La Storica,” the private cellar where Biondi-Santi keeps bottles from every Riserva vintage it has produced, a tasting led with Chief Executive Giampiero Bertolini, a lunch prepared by a Michelin-starred restaurant and an overnight stay in Montalcino for 6 people. The estimate is £10,000 to £20,000.

Montalcino appears again with a lot from Il Marroneto, the estate run by Alessandro and Jacopo Mori. That package includes a rare 5-liter bottle of Madonna delle Grazie 2006, signed by Alessandro Mori, and a private dinner at the winery for 2 guests. The estimate is £7,500 to £15,000.

Piedmont is represented by Giacomo Borgogno & Figli, a long-established Barolo producer. Its lot includes a 12-liter Balthazar of Barolo Riserva 2018 signed by owner Andrea Farinetti. The visit includes a tour of the Cannubi vineyard, the historic cellars and the winery archive, along with a private lunch, a tasting at the Banca del Vino at the Tenuta Reale di Pollenzo and a one-night stay in one of the former royal residences of the House of Savoy. The package is for 4 people and is estimated at £7,000 to £12,000.

Another Tuscan entry comes from Ornellaia in Bolgheri. That lot offers a signed double magnum of Ornellaia 2006 and a tour of the vineyards and winery, followed by a tasting and dinner featuring older vintages, accompanied by a member of the estate’s senior team. The experience is for 6 people and carries an estimate of £5,000 to £10,000.

Abruzzo is represented by Emidio Pepe, where the auction winner and 3 guests would receive a private visit to the family estate and its historic vineyards, a tasting in the winery’s cellar, which organizers said holds about 350,000 bottles, and a farm-to-table dinner hosted by Chiara De Iulis Pepe. The package also includes a rare magnum of Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Branella 2020 and an overnight stay at the family agriturismo. The estimate is £5,000 to £10,000.

A separate lot organized by Crurated offers a trip through the Langhe from Dec. 2 to Dec. 4. That package includes truffle-focused meals and wine events, a private visit to Giacomo Conterno in Monforte d’Alba, and a dinner at La Rei Natura, the restaurant led by three-Michelin-star chef Michelangelo Mammoliti. Organizers said producers expected to take part include Roberto Conterno and Mosel winemaker Egon Müller. Another dinner is scheduled at Sunsì Bistrot at Il Boscareto Resort in Serralunga d’Alba, where guests are to be joined by wine producers serving notable bottles. The estimate is £4,500 to £8,000.

Poggio di Sotto, part of the ColleMassari group, is also offering a Montalcino experience for 6 guests. It includes a 3-liter bottle of Brunello di Montalcino 2019, a private estate tour, a guided tasting with the winemaker and a lunch or dinner in Montalcino. Roagna, in Barbaresco, is contributing a visit to its cellars, a tasting and a meal at the family estate, plus a magnum of Roagna Barbaresco Pajè 2021. That lot is estimated at £4,000 to £8,000 and is designed for as many as 6 guests.

Sicily enters the sale through Passopisciaro, the Etna estate founded by Andrea Franchetti and now led by his son Benjamin Franchetti. The package allows 4 guests to tour old terraced vineyards on lava rock in a private off-road vehicle, taste the full Contrade range and older cellar vintages, and have dinner and an overnight stay at the Shalai Resort. The winning bidder will also receive two signed 3-liter Jeroboams. Organizers estimate the lot at £4,000 to £7,000.

Marchesi Frescobaldi is offering a smaller-scale package at Castello Nipozzano in Chianti Rufina. The lot is built around a signed Jeroboam of Mormoreto 2015 and a private visit for 2 people to the castle’s underground cellars and private wine collection. It also includes a four-course lunch inspired by Tuscan cooking, paired with older Mormoreto vintages, an overnight stay in the castle hamlet and breakfast the following morning. The estimate is £3,000 to £5,000.

Another Tuscan lot comes from Isole e Olena, also owned by EPI, the French group that owns Biondi-Santi. That package includes a rare 6-liter bottle of Cepparello 2019 signed by Bertolini, plus a private tour of the Chianti Classico estate led by estate director Emanuele Reolon. The visit includes the vineyards, cellar and a guided tasting for 2 people. The estimate is £2,500 to £5,000.

While Italy accounts for many of the most visible offerings, the sale’s single highest-valued lot comes from France. Liber Pater, the Graves estate known for extremely limited production, is offering a handcrafted case containing signed bottles from the 2015, 2018 and 2019 vintages, as well as a private day at the estate for 6 people with owner and grower Loïc Pasquet. That experience includes a vineyard and cellar tour and a lunch or dinner paired with Liber Pater wines. The estimate is £80,000 to £120,000.

The wider auction catalog also includes donations from major names across Champagne, Bordeaux, Burgundy, Spain, California and South America. Organizers listed producers and houses including Barons de Rothschild, Henriot, Jacquesson, Salon, Taittinger, Krug, Ruinart, Château Angélus, Château Lafite Rothschild, Lynch-Bages, Domaine Leflaive, Familia Torres, Harlan Estate and Clos Apalta.