Gaja Barbaresco

Gaja, founded in 1859 in the heart of Piedmont, is one of the world’s most iconic wine producers. The Gaja family has been synonymous with quality and innovation in winemaking for generations.

In 1937, Giovanni Gaja made a bold move by placing the Gaja name prominently on the label of their Piedmont wines, a controversial decision at the time. This move marked the beginning of a legacy built on pushing boundaries.

When Angelo Gaja took over the family estate in 1970, he aimed to elevate Nebbiolo, the grape behind Barbaresco, while introducing modern techniques. His vision? To craft wines with deeper color, fuller fruit, and perfect balance. To achieve this, Gaja embarked on a significant replanting effort, even planting Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon on Barbaresco vineyards—an unconventional choice that helped redefine the region.

Angelo also modernized the winery, introducing temperature-controlled tanks and aging some wines in barriques, a technique new to Piedmont at the time. He pioneered the idea of bottling single-vineyard Barbaresco, further cementing Gaja’s reputation as a trailblazer in the world of fine wine.