Giovanni Gaja

A Legacy of Excellence

Being the fifth generation of a heritage so rich is something Giovanni cherishes. Representing the prestigious Gaja Wines of Italy, he travels across the world to share his culture and legacy with all.

Interviewed by Shraddha Mishra
Photographed by Vijay Barathe

Giovanni Gaja is the 5th generation son of the founder family of Italy´s Gaja Wines. He jokes that his family has no imagination when it comes to naming their children, so all men in his family are named either Giovanni or Angelo, successively. His great-great-grandfather, also named Giovanni Gaja, founded the Gaja wines in 1859 with three varieties of wines. A legacy today, Gaja is a celebrated wine producer from the Piedmont region, specialising in Barbaresco and Barolo wines. They have also diversified into Brunello production.

Gaja wines have maintained a tradition and yet introduced something new with each generation. When second generation of the wine maker's family, Angelo Gaja got married his wife became the strongest influence on the wine production. She insisted that the way forward is to work on improving the quality of their wines.

The genes moved further down the line, and Giovanni, the third generation proprietor, was credited with bringing the best of Gaja Wines. He insisted on upholding the quality of their vintages, and started letting go, discarding vintages that were not up to the mark– a move that truly distinguished Gaja as the best quality wines in the world. This period, between 1930s and 70s was when Gaja brought out the best wines.

Angelo is the president, the fourth generation, of Gaja Wines at present. He is credited with developing techniques that have revolutionised wine-making in Italy. He has been called the undisputed king of Barbaresco for being the man who made Piedmont popular in the modern world.

So when we meet the fifth generation of the Italian winemakers, Giovanni Gaja, we want to know how he feels carrying forward the legacy that is held so highly.

"With every family, the expectation is that the new generation has to disrupt what the older generation did, bring in new concepts and reach new heights. But that's not how we look at it," the 25-year-old tells us. He has recently joined in the family business, promoting his wines internationally, which brings him on a visit to India. "We want to preserve our legacy. We want to keep up with our forefathers, and aim to do it better," he says.

Wine is at the centre of the Italian culture, Giovanni says. Growing up in an environment where people socialise and make conversation with a glass of wine naturally made him a connoisseur of all things wine.

What made him an expert in the family's business of wine was the global experience he had achieved and the network that he had built.

After completing his education in economics, he joined a bank in Hong Kong where he gained experience in the finance world. The job required him to travel extensively which gave him an opportunity to network and connect with people across the world. "I was learning new things, meeting new people, always had a glass of wine in my hand– which is not a bad thing," he says. Giovanni also spent six months in London and New York learning about wine. He then worked for almost a year in New York as a wine distributor. When he finally felt  it was the right time to take on the responsibility, he joined Gaja.

Gaja Wines has been kept within the family since inception. In fact, even their labour working in the vineyards are not seasonal– they only employ full-time workers and give utmost priority to building a strong relation with them. Today, some of the workers employed at Gaja are the third generation. These are just some of the instances that show the strength and bond of their family. It is this familial bond and a celebrated heritage that Giovanni is most proud of.

"I come from a family that believes in the traditional way of work. My father is the last person to think we need a website!" he chuckles. However, in order for everything to remain same, everything has to change– this is the Gaja family's philosophy that each generation has upheld. In today's scenario, when the biggest challenge for any cultivator is climate change, it is the fifth generation of the family, Giovanni and his sisters Rosanna and Gaia, along with their parents, who are working towards ensuring that the quality of wines is upheld while introducing new agricultural solutions. One of the outcomes of this is a new, more resiliant variety of wine.

Giovanni's role in the business is mainly travelling and introducing the wines into newer markets. "China, Japan, Malaysia and of course India are the countries I am eager to connect with," Giovanni says, appreciating the large market size the Asian countries have. "I have noticed that India is very warm towards Italian cuisine, and believe they must give the best Italian wine a try to pair with their favourite food from our country," he says.

When we asked the avid traveller what he likes to eat and drink, he excitedly tells us that he loved the cheese naan and chicken biryani that he tried on his trip to India, especially so because these mildly spiced dishes go wonderfully with some of his favourite Gaja wines that he introduced here.