2/12 MEININGER’S WBI A Achievement Award. Achievement Lifetime Meininger’s a him earned has which – business the wine and winemaking both revolutionised has he that, than But more Shah. Michèle says wine, Italian for ambassador been tireless has a Gaja Angelo 1961, in scene the on burst first he Since in 1859, it comprised three hectares of vine of hectares three comprised it 1859, in Barbaresco in Founded 1961. in name same tional ambassador for Piemonte and Italy.” businessmindinof have excepan madehim wines,andhis innovative boldness andclarity comestosafeguarding hisland, traditions and anniZonin,“Hisconservative realismwhenit Gi producer Italian dynamic says ground,” by Steve presentation Jobs. a at audience the in being unlikenot is eventindustry wine any at him Watchingshowman.businessmanand preme hisprogress will acknowledge, heisalso su a followedhas whoanyone as Butcommercial. less it’s if even original, something produce to seeking and quality for strivingpromising theseare respect for environment,the uncom Among rules. steadfast of number a by lives energy,who tireless withcharacter of man a D R A W A R E G N I N I E M Gaja entered his family wine business of the “Gajaalwayshas thefeethis had firmly on himself as an artisan. To others, he is defines heTo others, artisan. an himselfas wines, revered most Italy’s of some behind man the Gaja, ngelo ANGELO GAJA ANGELO - - - - -

him the lesson that nature has its own cycleown its has nature that lesson the him was fundamental to Gaja’s training, and offered ationtogeneration,” explains Gaja. Viticulture accountfor growthand continuity from gener allowsonetomake it longtermdecisions which as today, even important, very is Italy in byhis family. “Family ownership in viticulture expectedas 21, of age the companyfamilyat the joined He Turin. of University the from economics in degree a holds and France, in Montpellierat and Alba in Enology of School the both at winemakingstudied Gaja Angelo Innovator on winemaking in Italy. important, perhaps, is the impact Gaja has had MontalcinoandCa’ Marcanda. But, even more in Restituta Santa estates, Tuscan regarded highlytwodistribution company, as wella as includes now business The bottles. 350,000 producing Bar 92ha, comprises property the baresco Today, trade. by surveyor a Gaja, father,Giovannihisby run wasand area, the in property winebiggest the it making yard, 18 Angelo Gaja Angelo - -

learning experience.” startallover again,” Gaja’sis,in words, life“a to enthusiasmenough gathering and rain, or one’shard work and harvest wiped out by “Witnessinghail conditions. weather adverse of andthere is nothing anyone can do in the face Angelo Gaja soon went his own way. learn.”But andobserve to me to up was it so ful man, never imposing his philosophy on me, force a wasn’t he as conflicts majorany had ‘steal’his knowledge,” says Angelo. “We never jealoustonormeaboutwork;to his wasup it wasfatherneitherpedantic“MyGAJA name. the retaining but graphics, white and black choosing label, the revamped Gaja 1978, In quality.”its with name hisidentify wantedto he and producers other than price higher a Barbarescoat andBarolo his always soldhad “father his that adding existed,” it like label other Nobranding. “ingeniousofway an was it says revolutionary. Gaja then was today, it commonplacebrandingapproachletters.toA 1937,featuredfamilyinboldred namein the ent. The Gaja label, developed by Giovanni Gaja as enro oaco CO f ieo in Winebow of CEO LoCascio, Leonardosays and his wines were selling at very high prices,” alreadyfamous and inpositiona ofleadership was he time that By 1980. in started career markets outside Italy. with links establishing in instrumental was my father really understood this.” think don’t I projects.people’s other for sion their project. They can’t just work and fuel pas themto fuel their passion and fall in love with generation joins the family business is to allow new a whenimportant is think I “WhatGaja. says us,” between conflict no was there but tastedlike. Hehadzero interest inmy project, itCabernetwhat oforidea nohad father“My overregioncenturies. the in worthproven its had that grape a Nebbiolo, than rather gnon Sauvi Cabernet of 1.2ha plant to pity a was Giovanni,it toproject; the aboutreservations in Piemontese dialect, referring to his father’s pity’ a ‘it’s‘Darmagi’,meanslabel, Cabernet The wine. a produced he 1982 In vineyard. Chardonnayplanteda he year next the while vineyard, Sauvignon Cabernet a planting by traditions area’s the flouting went further, he much 1978 In 1967. in Lorenzo Sa Sori beganandhesingle vineyard production with diradamento,or harvests, green with mented From the beginning, Gaja wines were differ ih fo te einn, e a experi had he beginning, the from Right “I have known Angelo Gaja since my wine mysince GajaAngeloknownhave “I Darmagi however, as off, paid project The - - - - -

an act of courage!” He also points out that hiscourage!” pointsalsothatofout actHe an sifying our wines. It was more a challenge and Gaja,leavingnot“declasmeandidDOCG the Forcenturies. existedfor had that tradition a wine.”says,balancehewasthe As ofthethis enhancevarietalstolocal other percentage of philosophythe andtradition addingof smalla to return and concept modern this challenge to wanted vineyards,I single our of case the conceptsern winemaking,”of explains.he “In mod Sangioveseare 100% orNebbiolo 100% as such winessingle-vineyard, mono-varietal in the wines to balance the quality. “The use of Neiranoand Dolcetto, Barberaas such rietals hadsmall percentages (under 10%) of local va regulations came into force, Barbaresco always calls that until 1966 when the DOC and DOCG labellingLanghethemNebbiolo DOC.Gajare system,DOCG re-the fromCosta Russi–and single-vineyard his removingBarbaresco wines – bySori San Lorenzo, Sori quo Tidin tus countries. experience the winemaking and wines of other languagestravel,andlearnto needed kets he father, he realised that to expand to other mar company’shis bythebegun exports, up built internationallateGaja1970s,asthe arena. In the in known barely was time that at which Nebbiolo,grapelocal itsPiemonte toandtion internationalattendraw to wanted Gaja ties, varie Frenchplanted had he Althoughtions. followedandtradiwinelocal localdrank one 1970s,Inthe Italian viticulture was parochial; success International Renzo Cotarella, CEO of Marchesi Antinori. best,thinking hecould always dobetter,” says great all likeachievers, heisnever totally time, satisfied hiswith same the at and wines top-qualityalwaysproducestrivedtohas productivity. “He for looking were others when time a at – containingyields of aim the with ‘161-49’, rootstock, special a of introduction the include initiatives Other Conterno. Aldo Piemonteproducers, Renatosuchas Ratti and and Sauvignon Blanc.” Chardonnay,Sauvignonwith Cabernetmonte barrels,andto achieve amazing results Piein Frenchoak instead of old, large, Slavonian oak eral.wasHefirst one theof use to new, small, gen in wines Italian of indeed – wines tese tributions he has made to the world of Piemon con of numberincredible the to go thoughts my Angelo, of think I York. “WheneverNew n 96 Gj oel calne te sta the challenged openly Gaja 1996, In other influenced strongly initiatives These ------

Gaja abroad Gaja dynamic and natural speaker!’” ExperienceSymposium, Winejust I thought ‘what Spectator’sa Wine at speak him I heard “When Frescobaldi. de’ Marchesi of CEO Frescobaldi Lamberto says communicator,” Year Award in 1998 helped as well. DistinguishedService Award. Winning magazine’s that received he finest Italy”;1997wines “the ever in in made the Atlantic.1985 Inthe of side other the on had he response the however,helped,by was He conservativeexplaintocustomersmedia. and being a DOC or DOCG was a difficult concept to couldevennotmeetdemand;he however, not fact, Inbrand. the reputationof the to thanks dimension.” ownThe controversial decision his did not reduce it sales, giving Barbaresco, “Cabernet reinterpret to able was he winemakersgreat all Liketerroir. their ofcharacter the or soul changingtheir withoutwines his ofstyle the quality,”foring saysCotarella.“Gajachanged aim when essential are two the of bination com Thetradition. respectingstill while quo status the challenged he because visionary, comes from 14 different vineyards. flagship Barbaresco100% Nebbiolo a is which ot, h U rpeet oe f i prime his of one represents US the ports, arder nfinitely but corner, ther brooding, ame edroom, the o the he in would abernet ersonality, If understood strong ebbiolo Mastroianni. as Agl hs las en n exceptional an been always has “Angelo also revolutionary, but only not was “Gaja u o te 2 onre t wih aa ex Gaja which to countries 52 the of Out

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companies like Liberty Wines would not exist.” changedfacethe ofItalian wine. Without simply, him, quite has, modernity and quality to areallchildren Gaja’.of Angelo’s commitment ‘we that sayingonce himself, producer mean no andPiemonte in neighbor his Altare, Elio remember follow.I to producers Italian other for way the led has andconsumers, many of Gaja,” he says. “He has changed the perception Angelo than wine Italian fine for market the compliment.“Nobody hasdone more to create the GleavereturnsBritain, in wineItalian ity ‘DarkAges’,the byraisingappeal qualthe of havingforUKtaken Italianof theout wine in Wines Liberty of MW Gleave David praises Gaja as Just achievements. Gaja’s of highly think importers overseas Many Leap. Stag’s and One Opus Mondavi Robert as wines US RomanéeContiDomainelaas de suchandtop challenge a for its time”, bringing insuch wines and driven quality is which achievement “another was Distribuzione Gaja Cotarella, to According countries. 15 in producers 70 from wine super-premium of cases 40,000 some imports Gaja Champagne), from (apart is Italy abroad from wines Althoughto notoriouslyimpervious 1977. in Distribuzione Gaja established having own, his of class a mains Italy’s best focus. re still Europe that however, maintains, He Brazil.Mistralin andRussia in Trade DP dia, wines being distributed through Brindco in In BRICthe markets arealso important, the with past,”didUSthein the says Gaja, adding that than ratefaster a at growing is potentialand difficult market,great a offers “China,though utes through ASC, and Japan through Enoteca. Asian markets include China, where he distrib represents 15% of his total exports. Gaja’s main markets. For the future he looks to Asia, which Achievement Award, indeed. future The A worthy recipient of the Meininger’s Lifetime thatGaja survives through future generations. public events. He to has also charismataken care to hisensure bring and projects ongoing today roleoffer ness.advice,toHis monitoris busi hisexpand norretire tointends neither withGaja Distribuzione. At theage of 72, Gaja Rossanaassistingbeenhas overfortwoyears and is slowly taking over from her father, while followingmarketsexportoversevenfor years business.pair,Theelderthe of Gaia,hasbeen hn t oe t dsrbto, aa s in is Gaja distribution, to comes it When aas agtr bt wr i te family the in work both daughtersGaja’s A J A G O L E G N A

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