The Gaja cellar history began in Barbaresco, Piedmont, with Giovanni Gaja's founding of the winery in 1859. The family, originally from Spain, initially produced wine for their tavern before starting to bottle it for the Italian army at the end of the 19th century. A significant turning point came in the 1960s when Angelo Gaja, Giovanni's grandson, revolutionized the winemaking with techniques like aging in small French oak barriques. The winery later expanded into Tuscany, acquiring estates in Montalcino (Pieve S. Restituta) and Bolgheri (Ca'Marcanda) in the 1990s. Today, under the leadership of the fifth generation, the company continues to focus on quality and innovative vineyard management.