In 1968, a teenaged Aldo Vaira joined a student protest that marched past his father's law office in Turin. As punishment, his parents sent him to the family farm in Barolo for the summer. He came back wanting to be a farmer. That decision, and the organic conviction that came with it, became the foundation of one of Piedmont's most admired estates.
Backstory
Aldo and Milena Vaira founded G.D. Vajra in 1972. The winery carries the name of Aldo's father, Giuseppe Domenico Vajra, because Aldo was not yet old enough to register it himself. The family's roots in Vergne run deeper still: Aldo's grandparents bought land here in the 1920s, and the prized Bricco delle Viole holdings were planted from 1949 onward. Today Aldo and Milena's three children, Giuseppe, Francesca, and Isidoro, run the estate.
The Region
The winery sits in the small village of Vergne, perched above the town of Barolo on the western edge of the appellation in Piedmont. This is among the highest-altitude corners of the Barolo zone, which gives the Nebbiolo a cooler growing cycle, bright aromatics, and a lifted, perfumed style.
Vineyards & Farming
The family farms around 40 hectares under vine across Barolo and surrounding appellations. From the beginning Aldo practiced organic viticulture, a radical choice in the early 1970s that has remained central to the estate. Bricco delle Viole, sitting at high elevation in Vergne, is the flagship cru. Beyond Nebbiolo, the family also grows Dolcetto, Barbera, the rare white Riesling, and Freisa.
Winemaking
Vajra is known for a traditional yet precise approach that prizes fragrance and finesse over power. The Barolos are built for the long term, balancing structure with the floral, high-toned aromatics that the Vergne altitude encourages.
The Wines
The lineup spans the everyday to the iconic. Barolo Albe is a fresh, approachable blend from several Vergne sites, while the single-vineyard Barolo Bricco delle Viole is the estate's age-worthy benchmark, and Barolo Ravera shows a different cru expression. The family also makes Dolcetto, Barbera, Langhe Riesling, Freisa, and the aromatized Barolo Chinato.
