"Italian products are much loved, and it will take a lot for American consumers to stop buying them in favour of Chilean or Australian wines." These are the words of Angelo Gaja who, in an interview with Il Foglio, shares his view on the particular moment the wine sector is experiencing, downplaying the effects of the trade war announced by Trump.
Gaja’s optimism on the tariff issue
The Piedmontese producer exports around 80% of his 300,000 bottles, with 20-22% going to the US market. Yet, he sees the glass half full: "I’m not that pessimistic," he says in the interview. As a true Piedmontese, he believes that an entrepreneur must face challenges with skill—without making a fuss, without whining, and without expecting someone to come to the rescue. This stands in contrast to the numerous appeals and letters sent in recent days to the government—whether from Prosecco or Chianti Classico producers.
Does he have little faith in politics? "I don’t think we should rely solely on politics," he tells Il Foglio, comparing Foreign Minister Tajani to a Tavernello and Salvini to a de-alcoholised wine with no spirit. "Of course," he adds, "negotiation skills will be needed. Marching into a trade war fully armed is not the right approach. Trump shouts more as an entrepreneur than as a president—he shoots for 100 to get 10 or 15."
Trump’s precedent and Italy’s "luck"
Still on the US issue, Gaja recalls what happened a few years ago during the tycoon’s first presidency. "In the end, Trump has already done Italy a favour. We must acknowledge it: in 2020 and the first three months of 2021, he imposed a 25% surcharge on German, French, and Spanish wines entering the United States to punish the Airbus consortium (as part of the dispute over aviation subsidies, ed.), while leaving Italy at zero. In practice, he was a benefactor to us. You can't expect more than that. We've had an incredible stroke of luck these past years!" adds the king of Barbaresco with a smile.
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The new routes for Italian wine
Finally, the visionary producer points to new directions for Italian wine: "There’s Asia. And increasingly, there will also be Africa." And then, there is Russia, where Gaja has never stopped working: "The Russian market represents 4-5% of exports, perhaps even less, but our Russian importer told me in February that if there is a ceasefire, consumption will explode. People there are eager to celebrate."
Promotion, then, is the key word for the future: "Wine is enjoyable, it attracts, it is deeply rooted in history, humanity, landscape, religion, and tradition. Instead of waiting for someone to save us, we need to reshape our narrative, telling our story abroad even more and even better."
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