Producer Profile
Gaja was founded in 1859 due to its need to provide wine to
the customers of the Gaja family’s inn and has been run by five generations of
the Gaja family since then. Today, Gaja is one of the most successful Italian
wine estates in the Piedmont region in the Langhe district, famous for
producing Barolo and Barbaresco.
modernist, innovator and dynamic man who claims to have ’dragged Piedmont into
the modern world’ and has been referred to as ‘the undisputed king of
Barbaresco’. He introduced French barriques to the Barolo winemaking process
against much opposition from his legendary father Giovanni Gaja, and introduced
Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay vines to classic Barbaresco terroir.
When he took over the reins in 1970, it was Angelo’s vision to change the
perception of Italian wines on the international circuit. He adopted unconventional
winemaking techniques for this region: temperature-controlled steel tanks,
French barriques, single vineyard production and of course planting French
grape varieties in Nebbiolo land.
The estate produces 18 different wines from 100 hectares of vineyard in
Piedmont, mainly Nebbiolo, Barbera and of course those French varieties too!
His changes to the estate have brought it success like that enjoyed by Château
Lafite Rothschild or Champagne Krug.
