Italian case history
If you enjoy Italian wine, you owe a debt of gratitude to Angelo Gaja.
Beginning in the 1960s, Gaja took his family’s small winery in Barbaresco, in Italy’s Piedmont region, and made it a worldwide success. Along the way, his energy, charisma, inspiration and vision drove all of the Italian wine to a higher level of achievement.
Of course, many people have contributed to Italy’s dramatic surge in quality and prestige over the past half-century. There have been success stories from snowy Alps in the north, through the rolling hills of Tuscany, to the sun-drenched islands of the Mediterranean. Piero Antinori especially has been a leader. But Gaja’s story is unique.
His family was not rich; his winery’s sales were mostly local; Barbaresco was not the household name it has since become. But Gaja studied and learned, traveled and absorbed, and decided that Barbaresco in particular and Italy in general could make wines to rival the best in the world. Over a career that has spanned 50 years, he succeeded in reaching these lofty goals.
In this issue’s cover story, you’ll follow Angelo Gaja’s amazing trajectory – where he came from, what he accomplished, and where he and his family go from here.
Marvin R. Shanken
Editor and Publisher