{"id":6666,"date":"2022-12-23T08:59:48","date_gmt":"2022-12-23T03:29:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.indianwineacademy.com\/articles\/?p=6666"},"modified":"2022-12-23T22:06:21","modified_gmt":"2022-12-23T16:36:21","slug":"item_5_922","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.indianwineacademy.com\/articles\/item_5_922\/","title":{"rendered":"The World of Gaja: Sperss in Serralunga turns 30"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"6666\" class=\"elementor elementor-6666\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-4720b6a elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"4720b6a\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-33 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-53f09f7\" data-id=\"53f09f7\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-70aab53 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"70aab53\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.15.0 - 20-08-2023 *\/\n.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-stacked .elementor-drop-cap{background-color:#69727d;color:#fff}.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-framed .elementor-drop-cap{color:#69727d;border:3px solid;background-color:transparent}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap{margin-top:8px}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap-letter{width:1em;height:1em}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap{float:left;text-align:center;line-height:1;font-size:50px}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap-letter{display:inline-block}<\/style>\t\t\t\t<p>Posted: Friday, 23 December 2022 09:35<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-33 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-ad9e937\" data-id=\"ad9e937\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-33 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-cccb2a7\" data-id=\"cccb2a7\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1b4aea3 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"1b4aea3\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<u>If you Like this article, please click\n<iframe style=\"border: none; overflow: hidden; width: 120px; height: 21px;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/plugins\/like.php?app_id=173955395995712&amp;href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fwineguyindia&amp;send=false&amp;layout=button_count&amp;width=120&amp;show_faces=false&amp;action=like&amp;colorscheme=light&amp;font=arial&amp;height=21\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/u>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-9669605 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"9669605\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-b62f3ec\" data-id=\"b62f3ec\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c0e78f1 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"c0e78f1\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"row\">\n<div class=\"col-sm-12\">\n<h1 class=\"articlepagetitle_heading\"><span style=\"color: #990000;\">The World of Gaja:<\/span> Sperss in Serralunga turns 30<\/h1>\n<div class=\"articlepageintroline\">Dec 23: Angelo Gaja, the President and co-owner of Gaja wines in Barbaresco- Piemonte is known as the King of Barbaresco and Prince of Piemonte, but he was also instrumental in buying the Sperss Vineyard in 1988 without even visiting it or negotiating the price because his father Giovanni Gaja loved only the Serralunga vineyard area in Barolo, writes Subhash Arora translating the emotions of Angelo Gaja whose family is celebrating the 30 years of the vineyards.<\/div>\n<div class=\"articledata\">\n<figure id=\"attachment_lft\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-lft\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.indianwineacademy.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Sperss-top-left.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-6679 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/www.indianwineacademy.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Sperss-top-left-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"The Sperss Vineyard\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.indianwineacademy.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Sperss-top-left-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.indianwineacademy.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Sperss-top-left-768x511.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.indianwineacademy.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Sperss-top-left.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-lft\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Sperss Vineyard<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The Gaja family used to buy grapes only from Serralunga for the Gaja Barolo until 1961 but stopped the purchase when they took the decision to produce only from estate-owned vineyards. Gaja bought the Sperss vineyard in 1988.<\/p>\n<p>Before proceeding with this Story, let me first share another story. My wife had casually met or heard me talk about my friend Angelo Gaja, the current President and owner, so many times that when his daughter Gaia Gaja visited Delhi once, I asked her to accompany me to the dinner I was hosting for her as Gaia was a good friend. But \u2018which Gaja is coming for dinner\u2019, she asked? I said \u2018Gaia\u2019! Slightly irritated, she said but which \u2018Gaja\u2019?! &nbsp;I said in exasperation, \u2018Gaia Gaja, of course!!!\u2019 She felt sheepish as she had not realized that this Gaja was Gaia-both pronounced exactly the same way!<\/p>\n<p><strong>Angelo and Giovanni Gaja<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Those of us who are not familiar with his family history don\u2019t know that in the Gaja family- every male member has to choose between Angelo and Giovanni, before you get lost in the names. Gaja wines was founded in 1859 by Giovanni Gaja-, Great Grandfather (GGF) of Angelo Gaja (P-Current President), famous today in the wine world at large.&nbsp; His father was Giovanni Gaja (F) as is his son, the young Giovanni Gaja (S) who works alongside his siblings Gaia and Rossana and has visited India for marketing, a couple of times. Angelo Gaja was his grandfather (GF) and Giovanni (GGF) the great- grandfather who founded Gaja Wines in 1859.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_lft\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-lft\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.indianwineacademy.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Borgo-di-Serralunga.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-6745 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/www.indianwineacademy.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Borgo-di-Serralunga-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"Village of Serralunga d'Alba\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.indianwineacademy.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Borgo-di-Serralunga-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.indianwineacademy.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Borgo-di-Serralunga-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.indianwineacademy.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Borgo-di-Serralunga-768x511.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.indianwineacademy.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Borgo-di-Serralunga.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-lft\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Village of Serralunga d&#8217;Alba<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>This story, told to delWine by Gaja Wines, is the fulfilment of a childhood dream of Giovanni Gaja (GGF) as a student in the 1920s, when he was sent by his mother Clotilde to harvest grapes. This meant no school for a month, but working every morning in the vineyards: &nbsp;Two weeks in Barbaresco and two weeks in Serralunga (Barolo).<\/p>\n<p>The alarm clock used to ring at 6am in the Gaja household even though work activities began at 8:30, as soon as the morning dew had disappeared from the grapes. Many young boys and girls participated in the harvest which was the best social occasion of the year. When Giovanni turned 18, they would all dine together after returning from the vineyards. Afterwards, all the young people except Giovanni, would go to the main square. His mother Clotilde was very strict and wanted him to be in bed by 9pm. This annoyed Giovanni because the evening sprang alive with laughter and song only at that time.<\/p>\n<p>After the Barbaresco harvest was finished, it would be time to go to Barolo to do the harvest in Serralunga for two weeks (Barbaresco harvested a couple of weeks earlier). There was no mother to control him there and he was free to do as he pleased in the evenings. For Giovanni Gaja (F), Serralunga was the ideal place and he fell in love with the area. It remained etched in his memory as a mythical place.<\/p>\n<p>Giovanni dedicated his life to the challenges of making Barbaresco popular. He never thought of buying a vineyard in the Barolo area, despite the wines being much in demand on the international markets. Whenever an opportunity came around, he would ask the seller if the vineyard was in Serralunga that he experienced in his youth. But the moment they said no, he would reject the proposal.<\/p>\n<p>The turning point came finally in 1988 at Vinitaly in Verona. It was a Sunday afternoon and Angelo (P) who had assumed control of the company some time earlier, was at the Gaja stand. \u2018I was tired and there was a lot of confusion when a broker came in and told me there was a large vineyard for sale in Serralunga. I told him this was not the time to talk about it, but as he turned to leave, I asked him casually if it was the <em>Marenca<\/em> and <em>Rivette<\/em> vineyards: my father had always told me about them wistfully. I was pleasantly surprised when he said in affirmative. I cancelled all my appointments for the day and left immediately to go back to Langhe&#8217;.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018I bought the vineyard the very next day without seeing the place or negotiating the price. I knew there was no need\u2019, adding, \u2018we named it \u201cSperss\u201d, which in Piemontese dialect means nostalgia-that my father had felt for this place throughout his life. He had just turned eighty and could not believe it. He was really happy.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Serralunga most coveted by Barolo producers<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.indianwineacademy.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/BAROLO-SPERSS-copia_2-scaled-1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-6683 size-medium alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/www.indianwineacademy.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/BAROLO-SPERSS-copia_2-scaled-1-84x300.jpg\" alt=\"Sperss Barolo 2018\" width=\"84\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.indianwineacademy.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/BAROLO-SPERSS-copia_2-scaled-1-84x300.jpg 84w, https:\/\/www.indianwineacademy.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/BAROLO-SPERSS-copia_2-scaled-1.jpg 281w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 84px) 100vw, 84px\" \/><\/a>The Nebbiolo grapes of Serralunga have always been the most coveted vineyards by Barolo producers. They are the most sought after and command the highest price because they give life, authenticity and sumptuousness to the wines, allowing them to age well over time. In the Barolo area it made so much economic sense to sell Nebbiolo grapes that the idea for a grower and wine maker to produce a single varietal wine arrived quite late. Sperss has maintained the same label since it entered the market thirty years ago, and, for our family, this wine represents a different \u201cLanga\u201d- a quieter and wilder Langa. When we think of Sperss we are reminded of the forests of truffle hunters, the scent of <em>Artemisia<\/em> (an aromatic herb that grows in the vineyards with hints of camphor and balsamic), graphite, fresh mushrooms, bark and musk.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Notes on Sperss<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The sensorial images found in the Sperss wine evoke full and powerful notes of black fruit, orange, black cherry and berries at first. It then gives way to more delicate notes of roses, violets, elderberry and liquorice. The compact but ample structure and the thick tannins not only indicate an imposing full-body but also provide a delicate balance and an aristocratic demeanour.<\/p>\n<p>Gaja Sperss 2018 is listed at an average of $381 in Wine-Searcher. Gaja wines are imported in India by Sanjay Menon of Sonarys, Mumbai. Contact Sanjay at&nbsp;<a href=\"mailto:sanjay@sansula.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">sanjay@sansula.com<\/a>&nbsp;for more details.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Subhash Arora<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"articledata\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Posted: Friday, 23 December 2022 09:35 If you Like this article, please click The World of Gaja: Sperss<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[82],"tags":[129,128],"class_list":["post-6666","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-other-headlines","tag-serralunga","tag-the-world-of-gaja"],"featured_image_urls":{"full":"","thumbnail":"","medium":"","medium_large":"","large":"","1536x1536":"","2048x2048":"","slider-bg":"","card-grid":"","card-list":"","morenews-featured":"","morenews-large":"","morenews-medium":""},"author_info":{"display_name":"admin","author_link":"https:\/\/www.indianwineacademy.com\/articles\/author\/admin\/"},"category_info":"<a href=\"https:\/\/www.indianwineacademy.com\/articles\/category\/other-headlines\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Other Headlines<\/a>","tag_info":"Other Headlines","comment_count":"0","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.indianwineacademy.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6666","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.indianwineacademy.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.indianwineacademy.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.indianwineacademy.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.indianwineacademy.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6666"}],"version-history":[{"count":52,"href":"https:\/\/www.indianwineacademy.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6666\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6754,"href":"https:\/\/www.indianwineacademy.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6666\/revisions\/6754"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.indianwineacademy.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6666"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.indianwineacademy.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6666"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.indianwineacademy.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6666"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}