Gaja was founded in the Barbaresco region in 1859 by Giovanni Gaja in 1859. Given the size of its production, which is close to a million bottles, Gaja could be regarded as at least a medium-sized winery. But its approach is essentially "artisanal". Gaja's pricing is certainly ambitious – a bottle of one its 2010 "cru" Barbarecos will set you back around $450 – but the winery's focus is unashamedly on quality. It is not afraid to declassify or sell off in bulk vintages that do not meet its high standards, as it did in Piedmont in 2002 and Montalcino in 2002, 2003 and 2009. And for all its reputation as a marketing machine, Gaja's website is nothing more than a holding page.
The focus of the winery has shifted and expanded over the last 25 years, although its headquarters are still on a quiet street in Barbaresco. Starting in 1988 with Sperrs in Serralunga in neighboring Barolo, Gaja has purchased vineyards in Montalcino (Pieve Santa Restituta in 1994) and Bolgheri (Ca'Marcanda in 1996). Its holdings in Barolo were extended with the acquisition of the Gromis property in La Morra in 1995. Today, thanks to the size of its operation in Bolgheri, Gaja makes more wine in Tuscany than in Piedmont.
Piedmont only produces 350.000 bottlels annually. Those bottles are distributed all over the globe, making them a very rare catch.
