A Sip of History: Meeting The King Of Barbaresco In His Italian Castle

Half a world away from Hong Kong, I stood within the modern, stone-walled grandeur of Angelo Gaja’s castle in Barbaresco, Italy. The air was thick with the scent of aged oak and anticipation as I awaited a tasting of Gaja’s latest vintage, a rare privilege that felt surreal. Suddenly, the legendary winemaker Angelo Gaja, in a casual t-shirt and jeans, strode into the room and greeted me. “Welcome! Tell me, how’s Hong Kong now?” he asked. His voice laced with curiosity, instantly bridging the distance between us.

As we settled into conversation, I couldn’t help but marvel at the depth of Angelo’s connection to Hong Kong, a bond that many of his followers might not know. It all began three decades ago, when the Grand Hyatt decided to open an Italian restaurant in the heart of the city. At the time, an Italy-based chef was tasked with leading the venture, and he found himself grappling with the challenge of naming and branding the restaurant. Italian restaurant names might seem straightforward, but in early 1990s Hong Kong, Italian cuisine was still a burgeoning trend, and the landscape was far from saturated.

The chef turned to Gaja for ideas. It was a decision that would not only shape the restaurant’s identity but also forge a lasting connection between Gaja wine and Hong Kong. “Grissini!” Angelo recalled. “I like grissini and isn’t it authentic enough?” He raised his hands with emotion as he spoke.

Angelo continued, “Grissini, crunchy breadsticks also known as the “little stick of Turin, was one of Napoleon’s favorite foods. It’s originally from Piedmont, where it’s served on every table as a delectable start to a meal.” As Angelo recounted the moment, his eyes sparkled with a mix of nostalgia and pride, a testament to the enduring legacy of his global influence. “In HK, you have more chances to taste French than Italian wine,” Angelo said. “In terms of production, we have a smaller quantity but better quality. Our lands are very sacred, especially in Piedmont, and unlike France, we don’t export everything.”

Since that serendipitous connection, Angelo and his eldest daughter Gaia, who now steers the family empire, have become frequent visitors to Hong Kong. Their mission was to weave the soulful elegance of their Piedmont and Tuscany wines into the city’s thriving culinary scene.

In a city where French restaurants have long dominated Hong Kong’s fine dining scene, Angelo Gaja dares to envision a different future back then. By aligning his prestigious labels with upscale Italian eateries like Grissini, he was inviting local wine aficionados, label-chasers, and curious diners alike into a world where each dish, from handmade pastas to slow-roasted porchetta. Authentic Italian cuisine becomes a harmonious partner to the bold, earthy notes of Piedmont’s Nebbiolo or the refined grace of Tuscany’s blends. Italian wine is poised to challenge the dominance of Burgundy and Bordeaux among the noble reds. This ambition is further fueled by Piedmont’s culinary prowess, with an impressive 57 Michelin-starred restaurants (including four 2-starred), anchoring its status as a global epicenter of gastronomy and viticulture.

As the recipient of the 2019 Winemaking Award from the Institute of Masters of Wine and The Drinks Business, Angelo commands reverence in the wine world. The Gaja family, at the forefront of this movement, spans four wineries across Italy, encompassing 245 hectares of meticulously tended vineyards in Piedmont, Bolgheri, and Montalcino. In 2017, the family expanded its vision even further, investing in the volcanic soils of Sicily’s Mount Etna, a region renowned for its distinctive, mineral-driven wines. The Gaja winery is located in the heart of Barbaresco, just a short distance from the famous Torre di Barbaresco. For many years, the winery was a well-kept secret, but it opened its doors to visitors in 2014. Each year, Gaja produces around 300,000 bottles of wine, with 60% of that production intended for export.

我站在意大利皮蒙區(Piedmont) 的巴浿絲可Gaja嘉雅城堡的現代石牆輝煌中, 遠離香港半個世界。空氣中瀰漫著陳年橡木桶的濃郁氣息，而我正期待品嚐的嘉雅2009的年份酒款。突然，傳奇釀酒師安傑羅·加亞穿著休閒T恤和牛仔褲，大步走進房間，向我致意。「歡迎，歡迎！香港現在怎麼樣？」他好奇的聲音瞬間把我們之間的距離拉近了。這種難得的榮幸讓人感到如夢似幻。

隨著我們慢慢聊起來，我不禁驚嘆於原來Angelo 對香港的深厚淵源，但他的許多粉絲或仰慕者並不知情。這一切始於三十年前，當時君悅酒店 Grand Hyatt決定開設一家義大利餐廳。當時，一位常駐義大利的廚師負責領導這家餐廳，而他卻面臨著餐廳命名和品牌塑造的難題。義大利餐廳的名字或許看似簡單，但在1990年代初的香港，義大利菜仍是一股新興潮流，市場遠未飽和。

主廚向安傑羅尋求靈感。這個決定不僅塑造了餐廳的永久品牌形象，也為嘉雅葡萄酒與香港建立了持久的連結。

「Grissini！」安傑羅回憶道。 「我喜歡Grissini，它就是正中的義大利象徵？」他激動地舉起了雙手。

安傑羅繼續說道：「Grissini是一種酥脆的麵包棒，也被稱為 <都靈小棍>，是拿破崙最愛的食物之一。它起源於皮埃蒙特 Piedmont。在這裡，每張餐桌上都會擺上Grissini，作為我們開胃菜。」安傑羅回憶起那一刻，眼神中閃爍著懷舊與自豪的交織，證明了他在全球影響力的持久傳承。

「在香港，你品嚐法國葡萄酒的機會比義大利葡萄酒更多，」安傑羅說。 「就以產量而言，我們義大利的產量較小，但品質更好。我們的土地非常神聖，尤其是在皮埃蒙特，而且與法國不同，我們不會出口所有產品。」

自從Grissini成立後，安傑羅和他的長女 Gaia（如今掌管家族帝國）便成了香港的常客。他們的使命是將皮埃蒙特和托斯卡納葡萄酒的深情優雅融入這座城市蓬勃發展的餐飲業。

香港高級餐飲業歷史以來都被法國餐廳長期主導， 在這個背景下，安傑羅對香港敢於展望一個截然不同的未來。他將Gaja 與 Grissini 等高檔義大利餐廳合作，邀請當地葡萄酒愛好者、品牌追逐者和充滿好奇心的食客們，共同探索一個從手工意麵到慢烤烤豬肉，每一道菜都精彩紛呈的世界。道地的義大利美食與皮埃蒙特內比奧羅濃鬱的泥土氣息，或託斯卡納混釀的精緻優雅，完美地融為一體。

在香港， 義大利葡萄酒正蓄勢待發，挑戰勃根地和波爾多在貴族紅葡萄酒領域的統治地位。皮埃蒙特的烹飪實力更是助長了這項雄心壯志。皮埃蒙特擁有57家出名的米其林星級餐廳（其中包括4家二星），鞏固了其作為全球美食和葡萄種植中心的地位。

作為2019年葡萄酒大師協會（Institute of Masters of Wine）和《Drinks Business》雜誌聯合頒發的釀酒獎的獲得者，安傑洛在葡萄酒界享有崇高的敬意。嘉雅家族是這場運動的先鋒，在義大利擁有四家酒莊，在皮埃蒙特、博格利和蒙塔奇諾擁有245公頃精心照料的葡萄園。 2017年，嘉雅家族進一步拓展視野，投資西西里島埃特納火山的火山土壤，該地區以其獨特的礦物質風味葡萄酒而聞名。

Gaja酒廠位於Barbaresco的中心，距離著名的Torre di Barbaresco僅幾步之遙。多年來，酒廠一直是個保守的秘密，但它在2014年向遊客敞開了大門。加亞每年生產約30萬瓶葡萄酒，其中60%用於出口。