Angelo Gaja s defence not to put Alba under the flag of Barolo

Angelo Gaja is getting into the pen and wants to stop at Alba which would be added to the Barolo area.

On Tuesday 12 November the news of the nomination of the city of Alba as cultural capital for 2020 was sent out into the world. Alba already holds many records: Alba capital of the Langhe, Nutella, Slow Turismo and Qualità Gastronomia, white truffle, wines of Langa and Roero.

Not enough yet. "Alba deserves its place on the territory of Barolo". This was the title that appeared in the press on August 27, referring to the proposal of Mario Sandr, Mayor i: "The municipality of Grinzane Cavour gives the municipality of Alba a vineyard suitable for the production of Barolo and the municipality of Grinzane receives in return part of the hamlet of Gallo that is currently managed by the municipality of Alba. Exchange on an equal footing".

Alba already has many titles and it is not necessary to mention it as the capital of Barolo.

Angelo Gaja is the owner of the Barbaresco winery of the same name, founded in 1859.

In this way, Alba would be included in the production area of Barolo, from which it is currently excluded. In the past there were already people who supported this hypothesis to "attract more tourists to the city of Alba". But tourists who visit the cellars on the hills are already coming and will continue to come to Alba: at the borders of the production area of the DOCG wines are not picky and our tirades of the bell tower leave them indifferent.

There are those who support the project because "Alba would become the capital of Barolo like Beaune for Burgundy". It's not like that, the two cities are different. Beaune is a city with 24,000 inhabitants, dedicated to wine. It has no industries, modest commercial activities, a limited number of bars and restaurants and a lack of bank branches. After 9 p.m. in Beaune, as in the small towns around it, the curfew seems to start, with rare concessions to tourists looking for relaxation. They have made the city a sacred and exclusive place for wine, while preserving the identity of the city. Alba, with its 33,000 inhabitants, is at the head of a first-class industrial centre, with a turnover twenty times higher than that of wine. It has a lively cultural activity and an excellent reception capacity. The Truffle Fair lasts 6 weeks and attracts visitors from all over the world. It is not necessary to give Alba the role of capital of Barolo and Barbaresco.  The soul, the breath of great wines remains on the hills. It has been observed that even 50 meters outside the border that delimits the production area there are vineyards of Nebbiolo equally suitable for the production of wines that do not fear comparison with Barolo. But this is not a good reason to include them.

In 1965 there were public hearings held at which the owners of neighboring lands that fell outside the production area of Barolo, could take advantage of their good reasons to join the hearings. The subsequent production rules definitively defined the production area and were published in the Official Gazette of 15 June 1966, on the basis of their legal value. After 53 years of intensive living by winemakers and producers to build a growth path, caution is needed to make changes. For all Italian wines with a highly sought-after designation, there are thousands of requests for expansion of the production area.

If Barolo, the most prestigious wine in Italy, the request for expansion zpu be accepted, even if for a small part, this would be a bad example, would justify the aspirations of dozens of other applicants throughout the country. Mario Sandri's proposal was well received. If the process is started, he will also have to obtain the consent of the winegrowers and producers of Barolo who have gathered in a public hearing.

The last word has not yet been told about this initiative and its consequences....