LIVING TASTE STORY : James Barnes IMAGES : Courtesy of Gianni Gagliardo The Taste of Good Living Gianni Gagliardo, oenologist extraordinaire, lives in the gently rolling hills of Serra dei Turchi, Piedmont, north eastern Italy. His story is as rich as the fabulous wines he produces, with his three sons integral to the success of a business that has thrived under the leadership of this self taught, self made man. His independent spirit and creative nature is self evident but for all the innovations he has brought to his industry, his respect for tradition and his humble origins are never far away. Gianni describes himself as, A country boy, who immersed himself in the wonderful world of wine at the tender age of 22. I was fascinated by the history of the Barolo wine and that small band of producers who were focussed on excellence. I realised that viticulture was an infinite pursuit of perfection, so I would never be bored! This was at a time when Italian wine had slipped from the top table and Gianni determined that it was time to save the reputation and the fortunes of the area and to enhance his own prospects. His undoubted tenacity has paid off as the region enjoys a renaissance and companies like Ferrari, oil the big wheels at important press launches with his wines. And he never loses sight of the magic journey that, begins with the peasant tending an ancient vine in the field and ends in a sparkling crystal glass, surrounded by elegance and comfort. Gianni married the daughter of fourth generation vine grower Paolo Colla and it did not take long for him to establish himself in the winery while Paolo tended the vines. 1986 was a momentous year which saw Gianni become sole proprietor of the company and the birth of his third son Paolo. He took the difficult decision to change the business name to Gianni Gagliardo from Paolo Colla, choosing to look to the future when his sons would continue with the family tradition. 106
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The new name coincided with a decision to change the style of the wines and the old cellar casks were replaced by smaller, French barrels. This brought about the introduction of the excellent Batie and Barolo Preve wines. The estate covers an impressive 30 hectares (74 acres) located in the Langhe villages of La Morra, Barolo, Monforte, Serralunga and Montecello d Alba. The grapes grown on each single vineyard, whatever the size, are vinified separately with blending taking place afterwards. The tonneaux have been joined in the cellar by barriques as well as some of the surviving traditional large casks. The Secret of Success Gianni sums up the secret of his success with a glint in his eye and just one word, Passion! He spends his day divided between the wine cellars and the sellers of his wine, all over the world but at every opportunity, he has lunch with his three sons, quaffing the liquid fruits of their labours and steering their business to new heights. Stefano was born in 1974, he grew up in the winery, breathing in the pungent aromas of fermenting grapes and his passion for wine began early, so his choice to become an oenologist was a natural consequence. Gianni, generously says, Stefano discovered an aptitude for marketing and this, 108
combined with his wine knowledge, makes him the driving force of the business. Alberto was born in 1978 and is a lover of the natural environment. His world is the vineyard. In the last few years, he has achieved great balance in our vineyards and the outstanding results are being bottled right now, says the proud father. Paolo has just graduated from Turin University where he studied agronomy and is currently gaining some commercial experience in the winery. His future is mapped out beyond the borders of Italy. The family are clearly important to Gianni who sees it as a consolidating factor in the business, able to share, our joys and problems. These values are rare but paramount to the cohesion found at the Gianni Gagliardo winery. Gianni s life is spent with journalists, buyers, workers on his estate and his family. We live above the cellars and we have also built a restaurant so when we are not tasting our competitors wines for comparison, our evenings are always dedicated to our wines and cooking. The weekends see him indulging his love of the ocean on the French Riviera and in Monte Carlo. 109
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It is great news for any lover of fine wine that the whole Gagliardo clan are, in Gianni s words, Crazy about Nebbiolo grapes. This esteemed variety has been overlooked by those obsessed with Gallic mores but the Barolo and Barberesco wines are testament to their high quality finish, complexity and sophistication. It is the best Italian vine, the most noble, but only here in Langhe can its character be best expressed. The taste changes a lot from hill to hill even if they are very near to each other, because there are many differences in the soil- from sandy to clay. That variety of expression gives us the possibility to produce many different wines, not only the Barolo, with the Nebbiolo grapes. It s our speciality, he enthuses. 111
The Mask Slips... An enigmatic mask is the business logo that appears on every bottle of Gagliardo wine. We have all experienced it when sharing a bottle of superb wine with friends, just that one extra glass and the mask slips, in vino veritas, the inhibitions are shed and there we are: in our truth! Gianni revealed his personal dream to Tropical Living. To own a house in Thailand. The winter in Piedmont is long and cold, he admits, great for growing excellent 112
Gagliardo Grape Guide Favorita grape: the name comes from the ancient preference of farmers for table wines since 1700. Their traditional method of winemaking was rediscovered and redeveloped by Gianni Gagliardo in the mid 1970 s. The Favorita variety produces fine Fallegro wine of pale yellow colour, a fragrant, fruity, floral flavour with a characteristic taste of acacia flowers, a pleasant hint of green apple, dry, full and soft acidity. Crisp and chilled, an ideal match with fresh fish, or as aperitif. wines but I love the sun and the sea. I have travelled all over the world, Piedmont and Phuket are the most fabulous places but they are so very different. He expresses a fondness of the Thai people and their elegant professionalism in the hospitality business, adding, To live in two totally different places is like having two lives! www.gagliardo.it Nebbiolo grape: its name comes from the late ripening period, the first harvest in the autumn fog. Nebbiolo-based wines reach the maximum aromatic complexity and express a fullness of flavour that balances the relatively high acidity and substantial tannins. The wines from the Langhe Nebbiolo and Nebbiolo d Alba areas are less intense and long-lived than big and varied ones from individual vineyards of Barolo and Barbaresco. Planted on Roero sandy s soils, on the left bank of the Tanaro River, Nebbiolo is particularly thin and elegant and is perfect with red meats. Preve Barolo Riserva is a wine star. Garnet red with orange reflections, sweet, spicy scent and light tannin taste; it is an austere yet delicate partner for any meat dish. 113