Any attempt to offer up a resumé in a few paragraphs of the Gaja family history and their importance to the Piedmont region is bound to be inadequate.

The Gaja name is synonomous with Barbaresco, and it is impossible to be indifferent towards either the wines or the man behind it all, Angelo Gaja. The family has been making wine in the region since 1859. Angelo’s father, Giovanni, himself the son of a vigneron, had the wherewithal and foresight to identify and purchase some of the best parcels of land in Barbaresco. But it was in 1961, when Angelo took control, that the estate began its ascent to the summit of the world’s most important and valued wines. Through his unique genius and vision, Angelo was able to extract the best from these extraordinary terroirs and produce legendary wines.

While the estate’s flagship wine remains the classic Barbaresco, Angelo was equally ambitious about the potential of the Langhe region as a whole. He declared three “Grand crus” in the DOC which are just outside of the Barbaresco zone: Sorì San Lorenzo, Sorì Tildin and Costa Russi. Gaja also designated two other Crus, Sperss et Conteisa, as DOC Langhe despite being part of DOCG Barolo. The Barolo Dagromis, Sito Moresco and the 100% cabernet sauvignon Darmagi make up the rest of the reds. In white, there are two chardonnays, Gaia & Rey and Rossj-Bass, while the sauvignon blanc, Alteni Di Brassica, rounds out the portfolio.

The wines are made under the supervision of long time collaborator Guido Rivella, who has worked alongside Gaja for over 30 years. Continuing the family legacy, Angelo’s three children have joined the family business, with his daughter Gaia taking the reigns of the commercial side of the business. Nothing is left to chance, from the vineyard to the chai. The goal is simple: to make wines of the highest possible quality and to show what is unique of each of the terroirs. The Gaja family spends a great deal of time and energy on marketing, and not simply for their own wines. Angelo Gaja believes in the both the grandeur and possibility of Piedmont and has happily taken the role of its most vocal ambassador.