GAJA Family Wines | Italy

The pioneering Gaja family has been growing vines and making wine for five generations, a tradition they started in 1859 in Piedmont. Each generation nurtures the dreams and vision of the previous one, building and innovating for the next. Above all, they are inspired by respect for nature and believe attention to detail is paramount.

Without a doubt, the name Gaja is synonymous with innovation and each generation has brought something new. Clotilde Rey drove the direction of quality, her son Giovanni continued this legacy as well as acquiring some of the best vineyards in Barbaresco including the three ‘crus’ for which Gaja is best known: Sorì San Lorenzo, Sorì Tildìn and Costa Russi. 

Angelo Gaja began working at the family winery in 1961 after completing studies in enology at Alba and Montpellier. (He would later earn a degree in economics at the University of Turin.) An indefatigable traveler, Angelo often credits his importing business - which gave him unprecedented access in his visits to wineries - for his expansive knowledge of the world of winemaking. Inspired by contemporary and traditional winemaking approaches in France, in the 1960s he began to apply his experiences to the family winery. He introduced barrique ageing, hybrid French bottle formats and longer corks, and clonal and massal selection in the vineyard. In the process, he single-handedly established Barbaresco as one of the great appellations of the world. His electric, charismatic presence and often poetical ruminations on the nature of fine wine make him one of the most respected and beloved figures in the wine industry today.

In 1994, Angelo Gaja purchased the historic Pieve Santa Restituta estate in Montalcino and then in 1996, the family also purchased the Ca’ Marcanda estate in Bolgheri as part of its quest to bring its expertise and experience in the production of world-class wines to Tuscany. Most recently GAJA has teamed up with the Graci family in Sicily to produce the wines of IDDA from vines growing on the southern slopes of Mount Etna.

Explore our full range of GAJA wines available for sale online at Hic!