Luciano Lombardi Vignadelmar interviewed Rossana Gaja, daughter of the “National Angelo,” who needs no introduction. Their work, choices, style, the future, and, finally, some reflections on the world of wine today.
Rossana joined the family business in 2009, after studying Viticulture and Enology at the Umberto I Institute in Alba and earning a bachelor’s degree in Psychology. Today, she oversees the technical and production aspects of the Gaja wineries in Piedmont and Tuscany, and she also manages Gaja Distribuzione—the import company founded by her parents in 1977—on the Italian market. She lives in Barbaresco.
Drinking for Pure Pleasure
Rossana, for you, wine is inevitably also work. But when you drink purely for pleasure, do you ever choose something else? I, for example, love Belgian or Belgian-style beers, and I really enjoy mixed drinks—especially classic cocktails, above all the Manhattan. Are these worlds you’re familiar with, that you frequent?
I go to a lot of places! Beer, mixology, kombucha… these are worlds that intrigue me.
A Personal Choice
Today, you and your siblings represent the fifth generation of the Gaja family. I’ve often wondered if your path to the winery was a decision that developed gradually or something that always felt natural to you. Was there ever a time when you seriously considered that your life might take a different direction?
I grew up in Barbaresco, a village of six hundred people, perched atop a hill and completely surrounded by vineyards. My earliest memory of wine is the landscape of the Langhe, the way the vineyards shape the hills. That’s where my first connection with wine and the land was forged. Pavese, ne *The Moon and the Bonfires*, writes: “A village means not being alone, knowing that in the people, in the plants, in the land, there is something of your own.” I think that’s how it was. There wasn’t a specific moment when I chose the winery; it was a bond that, as I grew up, I came to recognize as my own.
The Evolution of Style
I’ve been familiar with your wines for many years and have had the privilege of following their evolution harvest after harvest. It seems to me that in recent years your Barolo and Barbaresco have gradually changed in character. I remember wines that were more austere, more introspective, almost conceived with an obsession for longevity. Today they seem brighter to me, more focused on purity and fruit ripeness, more immediate, without losing depth. Even the color seems to me to reflect this evolution. And, above all, today they strike me as freer wines. How do you see them?
The climate change
The wines we produce today are inevitably different from those of the last century, because the climatic conditions we face are different. Back then, the colder climate meant that great vintages were less frequent; acidity was often high, and the tannins struggled to reach full ripeness. Today, as temperatures rise, ripening is more complete and consistent—sometimes even excessive. The vineyard faces new challenges, and our work has adapted accordingly. The profile of the wines has also changed: the acidity is better integrated, the tannins are riper, and this makes Barbaresco more approachable even in its youth, without compromising its ability to evolve over time. We hope so—we just have to be patient.
Finding Your Own Voice
Rossana, every generational transition takes its own time. On your journey, how challenging was it to find your own voice within a history as significant as Gaja’s, while deeply respecting its identity?
Actually, I don’t know if I’ve found my own voice. Working with my parents and siblings has been excellent training in learning how to use it.
The Relationship with the Kitchen
You live in Piedmont, with deep Piedmontese roots, and your region’s traditional cuisine is extraordinary. What’s your relationship with cooking? Do you enjoy cooking? Do you have time for it? And what do you really enjoy preparing when you’re the one in the kitchen? When it comes to pairing food and wine, do you prefer to do so to enhance each other or to create contrast?
My mom, Lucia, is a good cook, and so is my husband, Paolo… I just reap the benefits! I especially like dishes made with just a few ingredients.
The Expansion
Over the years, you have gradually expanded the company’s horizons: Montalcino, Bolgheri, then Etna, and now a new project in the Langhe. What was the deepest motivation that drove you beyond Barbaresco? Curiosity? Ambition? A need to test yourselves in different terroirs? Today, would you make all those choices again?
We like to seek out indigenous grape varieties in their places of origin: Nebbiolo in the Langhe, Sangiovese in Montalcino, Carricante and Nerello Mascalese on Mount Etna. I believe that at the heart of it all is, above all, a curiosity to explore regions that differ in soil, climate, and elevation. Yet we’re mindful that quality isn’t tied to a specific region—it can be achieved anywhere, provided the work is done with passion. In this way, we gain new insights to add to our existing knowledge.
Doubt
Many people imagine that in a large company like yours, every decision is based on certainty. But I wonder if the opposite isn’t actually true. Is there an important decision you’ve made in recent years that initially made you very doubtful, but that you would make again today without hesitation?
Let’s apply skepticism methodically, without going overboard. It helps us constantly reevaluate what we do and to seek, in every aspect of our work, room for improvement.
The 2016 Vintage
Of the many vintages I’ve tasted, I still believe that 2016 will remain one of the great milestones in your history. I’m thinking in particular of Sorì San Lorenzo and Sperss, which I consider wines of extraordinary quality. Looking back now, do you also feel that you’re dealing with one of those vintages destined to become a historic benchmark?
But also the 2014 and 2021 vintages. Vintages known for their structure and longevity.
Another Langa
Many producers have moved to the Alta Langa to produce sparkling wine bases. You, however, have chosen a completely different path—so much so that you refer to it as the “Altra Langa” and dedicate yourselves exclusively to still white wines. What did you see in those hills that others, perhaps, had not yet seen?
Our family has always sought new and exciting ways to grow and broaden our knowledge. Our most recent project in Trezzo Tinella, 12 km from Barbaresco, aims to explore the potential for produce still white wines at high altitudes. In late 2017, we began exploring this area, looking for conditions capable of preserving freshness and acidity. This sparked a curiosity that gradually evolved into a project. We were interested in understanding whether it was possible to interpret those soils in a different way—not by producing base wines for sparkling wine, but by making still white wines.
The Choices Not Made
In the history of Gaja, it is the choices that were made that are most often remembered. I, on the other hand, am curious about the choices that were not made. Is there a project, a region, a grape variety, or an idea that you consciously decided not to pursue, even though you had the opportunity to do so?
Angelo is a whirlwind of ideas… there are so many decisions left undone; it’s best to leave them open-ended—some of them might still become dangerously relevant!
Angelo Today
Today, your father has had an extraordinary career in the wine industry. I wonder if, in recent years, the way he looks at a vineyard or a bottle has changed. Do you sense that he’s more interested in technical details, or increasingly in the bigger picture?
Over the past twenty years, as we children joined the company and faced new challenges posed by climate change, Angelo has felt an ever-growing need to integrate our traditional knowledge with new insights. He sought out university professors, researchers, entomologists, botanists, and geneticists, asking them to help us find solutions for working the vineyard—both above ground and below—in an environmentally respectful way.
The World of Wine Under Siege
In my view, the world of wine is under siege. For some time now, we have been witnessing a growing demonization of wine consumption, almost to the point of forgetting the historical and cultural significance of a beverage that has accompanied humanity for millennia. Meanwhile, consumer purchasing power is declining, consumption is falling, and non-alcoholic alternatives are—in my view, mistakenly—presented as a possible solution to the large stockpiles of unsold wine. Rossana, are we in the midst of a perfect storm? And above all: does the world of wine still have the ability to explain why it’s worth defending?
Cultural Value
Wine is under siege, but there are many in Italy who want to defend it. The producers who are in favor of moderation and advocate for it day in and day out, even though they’re concerned about the resulting drop in sales. The wise consumers of all ages, who do not overindulge but know how to drink in moderation, thereby enhancing their well-being. Wine enthusiasts who learn about the cultural value of wine, discovering culture, landscapes, geography, history, tradition, and religion. The substantial allocation of public funds to producers who generate demand in foreign markets, while leaving some 20,000 micro, small, and medium-sized wineries—which sell their wine exclusively on the Italian market—high and dry.
No alcohol
They are not the non-alcoholic beverages that are cause for concern; they attract consumers who want to drink a beverage labeled as wine but free of alcohol. They carry expiration dates and are the result of manipulation; they must have a label that clearly states their nature.
The Weather
Those who produce great wines inevitably work with time. But time isn’t just about the aging of the wine. It’s also about people and generations. Now that you brothers are at the helm of the company, do you feel a greater sense of responsibility toward your family’s history or toward those who will lead it after you?
Today, there is a great sense of harmony. We’ve found our own way of working together, based on open communication and trust; we enjoy what we do, and I believe that makes a big difference. Looking toward the next generation, I’d like my children to be free to pursue their own passions. This profession requires dedication, commitment, and even sacrifice, so I believe you should choose it because you love it.
Writing a Story and Continuing It
Rossana, Angelo belongs to the generation that wrote a fundamental chapter in Gaja’s history. You belong to the first generation called upon to carry on that history and, inevitably, to write a new one. I’ve often wondered if these are two different professions. How do you experience them?
We have received so much from the generations that came before us. Our task today is to carry on the values that have been passed down to us, finding our own way to do so, adapting to the changes and new challenges that the world of wine presents to us.
