Piemonte, Italy
Gaja
The family that modernised Italian wine
Est. 1859
About the Estate
Gaja is arguably Italy's most famous wine estate. Founded in 1859 by Giovanni Gaja in the village of Barbaresco, it was Angelo Gaja who turned it into a global name starting in the 1960s. He introduced barriques, single-vineyard wines, green harvesting and international grape varieties to Piedmont at a time when the region was deeply traditional. His single-vineyard Barbarescos (Sorì San Lorenzo, Sorì Tildìn, Costa Russi) became some of the most expensive Italian wines ever made. In 1988, he returned to Barolo with the purchase of vineyards in Serralunga d'Alba, producing the Sperss bottling from 1992. Angelo's children Gaia, Rossana and Giovanni now run the estate, which farms about 100 hectares in Piedmont plus properties in Montalcino and Bolgheri.
Grape Varieties
Nebbiolo; Barbera; Chardonnay; Cabernet Sauvignon; Sauvignon Blanc
Heritage & Milestones
A journey through time, celebrating the moments that defined our legacy
Giovanni Gaja Founds the Estate
Giovanni Gaja opens a restaurant in Barbaresco and starts making wine to serve with the food. He is one of the first producers in Piedmont to bottle and sell wine outside the region.
Angelo Takes Over
Angelo Gaja joins the family business at 21 and begins introducing radical changes: French barriques, green harvesting, single-vineyard bottlings and international grape varieties. The Italian wine establishment is not amused.
Return to Barolo
After years of focus on Barbaresco, Angelo Gaja acquires 28 hectares of vineyards in Serralunga d'Alba. The Sperss bottling, first released in 1992, becomes his Barolo statement.
The Declassification Controversy
Gaja deliberately declassifies his single-vineyard wines from DOCG Barbaresco to Langhe DOC, adding a small percentage of Barbera to each blend. The move allows him more freedom but scandalises traditionalists who see it as a rejection of the appellation system.
Giovanni Gaja Founds the Estate
Giovanni Gaja opens a restaurant in Barbaresco and starts making wine to serve with the food. He is one of the first producers in Piedmont to bottle and sell wine outside the region.
Angelo Takes Over
Angelo Gaja joins the family business at 21 and begins introducing radical changes: French barriques, green harvesting, single-vineyard bottlings and international grape varieties. The Italian wine establishment is not amused.
Return to Barolo
After years of focus on Barbaresco, Angelo Gaja acquires 28 hectares of vineyards in Serralunga d'Alba. The Sperss bottling, first released in 1992, becomes his Barolo statement.
The Declassification Controversy
Gaja deliberately declassifies his single-vineyard wines from DOCG Barbaresco to Langhe DOC, adding a small percentage of Barbera to each blend. The move allows him more freedom but scandalises traditionalists who see it as a rejection of the appellation system.
Vineyard Location
Piemonte, Italy
Terroir
The Barbaresco vineyards sit on calcareous marl and clay soils in the Langhe hills, at elevations of 200–350 metres. The Barolo property in Serralunga d'Alba (source of Sperss) sits on heavier clay and limestone, producing more structured wines with firm tannins. The continental climate has warm days, cool nights and autumn fog (nebbia, from which Nebbiolo takes its name). All vineyards are estate-owned, totalling about 100 hectares in Piedmont. Winemaking combines traditional long maceration with ageing in a mix of large Slavonian oak and French barriques.
Available Wines
Discover our curated selection from Gaja
