OIC Wine Club Features Gianni Gagliardo Winery at Sold Out Wine Dinner !
Wine Club Members enjoyed a five course meal and sampled five amazing wines as Vito Candela shared the story of the Gianni Gagliardo Winery and introduced each of the wines tasted that evening.
Vito Candela
Poderi Gianni Gagliardo - A Brief Wine History
The history of Poderi Gianni Gagliardo stretches as back to 1847 when the Colla family first cultivated vines in Piedmont. The family excelled in producing Dolcetto, Piedmont’s most famous red until the advent of Barolo. In the early ‘60s, Paolo Colla managed the winery, producing exceptional Dolcettos, while harboring a dream to add Barolo to their collection of wines. Paolo acquires a farm in La Morra, where he began to produce elegant Barolos – and wine critics of the time took positive note.
In the ‘70s, Paolo’s only daughter married Gianni Gagliardo, who Paolo quickly took under his wing. Under Paol0's tutelage, Gianni's passion for winemaking advanced quickly. Paolo took notice and encouraged Gianni to branch out and try his hand at making his own wine.
Gianni set his sights on Favorita. In the 1600s, the Favorita grape made its way to Piedmont through trade and the sandy soil and sunny climate of the area proved an excellent terroir for the grape. The people noticed and the grape's popularity skyrocketed. Unfortunately, by the time Gianni was ready to craft his first wine, wine makers had turned their attention elsewhere – and Favorita was on the brink of extinction. However, with energetic persistence, Gianni literally willed the variety back to life – to the point that he is now considered to be the grandfather of Favorita. Today his namesake winery produces 80% of all the Favorita wine made in the world!
When Paolo passed, his Piedmont winery was inherited by Gianni – who continued to experiment with new wines – using old-world techniques. Gianni's son, Stefano, eventually joined the business and recommitted the Piedmont winery to producing Barolo, acquiring vineyards all throughout the Barolo DOCG. With assistance from his brothers, Stefano helped move the winery into the global market. Today their "boutique" wine sells in over 70 countries!
OIC Wine Club members were treated to five courses of delicious Italian cuisine expertly paired with 5 wines from Gianni Gagliardo. The tasted wines took guests on a bit of a journey through time, showcasing the different varieties of wine and taste profiles that have defined the winery over the years and are responsible for the esteemed status the Gianni Gagliardo Winery maintains to this day.
Gianni Gagliardo Wines
- Gianni Gagliardo, Roero Arneis ‘21
- Gianni Gagliardo, Langhe Favorita Fallegro Bianco ‘21
- Gianni Gagliardo, Barbera d’Alba ‘20
- Gianni Gagliardo, Dolcetto d’Alba ‘20
- Gianni Gagliardo, Barolo GG ‘18
Interested in attending Osteria IL Centro’s next wine event? Join the OIC Wine Club and be the first to know about tasting events and more! You’ll also receive many other member benefits including exclusive discounts and seasonal specials. Membership is complimentary – so why not join today?
