My Swisstainable Journey: Gaby Gianini. A glass of wine in Morcote.
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Intro
Gaby is one of the most renowned winegrowers in Switzerland and produces around 60,000 bottles of wine per year, always in harmony with nature. Before that, her career took an unusual detour.
Gaby Gianini. A woman who knows her own mind.
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Carrying on family traditions
Our past shapes the way in which we develop ourselves. Experiences and dynamics within the family, for example, can lead us to follow a similar or completely different path than the generations before us.
Both are true in Gaby’s case. Her grandfather Massimo was a passionate winegrower and founded the winery, which covers around 150 hectares – but her father followed a different path. Fortunately, Gaby’s passion for winemaking was kindled in time for her to take over the family winery. In fact, her love for nature and the soil of Morcote flourished early on.
The hardest part is getting started
Only after studying art and literature, specialising in fresco painting, did she find her way back to her roots at the age of 30: winemaking in Ticino.
“At first, people viewed me with suspicion. After all, I joined the male-dominated world of wine without any experience and as a woman to boot.” But Gaby didn’t let that put her off and followed her path unerringly – and successfully.
Admittedly, nobody stood in the way of her plans. However, she couldn’t rely on the practical support of her family. Nonetheless, on her life’s journey, she has succeeded in combining two elements that are particularly close to her heart.
The most important thing for me is my family, the soil we live on and the time to enjoy these two things.
From the hurly-burly of the city to the tranquillity of the countryside
Born in Ticino to a Ticinese father and a German mother, Gaby grew up in the urban jungle of Milan, among other places. This was followed by studies in culture and literature before Gaby ventured into wine production, which was still unknown to her. Today she is one of the most successful winegrowers in Switzerland and has successfully managed the family winery, Tenuta Castello di Morcote, since 2009.
My goal is to restore the harmonious balance between nature and wildlife. That is why I have chosen organic viticulture.
Enjoying biodynamic wines.
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More to wine than meets the eye
Out of respect for nature and fascinated by historical practices, Gaby decided to focus on biodynamic cultivation. Her motto: “Happy vines make great wines”. The secret to good winemaking is in the soil.
Since 2019, she has been making her painstaking work into something other people can enjoy too. On guided tours of the winery, Gaby passes on valuable knowledge about sustainable wine production – also conveying the feeling of a wine tour of Italy, but in Switzerland.
If we respect what is there and give back what we take, we can leave the land healthier than we found it.
Picturesque Morcote.
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Where Gaby’s heart finds rest
It is easy to understand why Gaby feels more at home here than in the hustle and bustle of the big city. Morcote is packed with plenty of attention to detail and was voted Switzerland’s most beautiful village back in 2016.