On the way to a Whistler ski vacation, Gaia Gaja (pronounced “GUY-ah” for both), of Italy’s renowned Gaja winemaking family, presented an intimate tasting of current and upcoming releases for a small group of wine-trade people at Robson Street’s CinCin Ristorante and Bar.

This was the wine-world equivalent of Beyoncé joining you and your pals at karaoke, or Meryl Streep coming over to watch the Oscars with the gang.

As Krug is largely regarded as the top of the Champagne game, or Domaine de la Romanée-Conti is commonly viewed as the pinnacle of Burgundy, it is the wines of Gaja—which have evolved since Gaia’s great-great-grandfather founded the winery in 1859—that have become the high point of Italian wine, particularly since Gaia’s father, Angelo, began taking over the winery in 1961. During the subsequent decades, he made waves internationally for bringing Italian wine into modern times, going from rustic to more elegant styles, employing sustainable farming methods, not being afraid of bolstering their oak program, and focusing on single-vineyard, premium wines of place.

This began in Piedmont, Barbaresco, and Barolo, but expanded to projects in Tuscany in the 1990s and a new venture on Mount Etna that’s only just beginning.

“It is my sister Rossana and I starting to take things over, and my younger brother Giovanni is just now joining the family business,” she told us. “We are still working out everyone’s roles, because for now the only hierarchy we have is my father, and then there’s everyone else.”

When she was born, her father was so concerned the family name would not live on if he and his wife, Lucia, didn’t have a son that they named her Gaia so there would be at least some level of eponymous continuity.

She spoke of her family’s hard work, efforts, and sacrifices over the years, making decisions like not putting their name on quality wine that wasn’t of high-enough quality, or recently planting 250 cypress trees on the property to encourage birds to nest, adding to the vineyard’s biodiversity, something that hasn’t yet come to fruition.

“So far, they’re just standing there, doing nothing.”

The Gajas work with consultants, but not winemaking consultants. They heed the advice of a botanical expert, an entomologist, a geneticist, and more to fine-tune their vineyards, coming up with what can casually be described as their own proprietary nod to biodynamic farming.

This is not a family that idles well, and although Angelo has set a very high bar for their wines, there is a new generation eager to continue pushing upward. Here are a few of their coveted wines, currently available around town.

Gaja Ca’Marcanda Promis 2016

(Tuscany, Italy; $86.86, Marquis Wine Cellars)

Purchased by the family in 1996, the 60-hectare Ca’Marcanda property in Tuscany produces wine that casts a spotlight on international grape varieties. This combo of 55 percent Merlot, 35 percent Syrah, and 10 percent Sangiovese teems with juicy red and black berry fruit, punctuated by fresh rosemary and oregano.

Gaja Barolo DaGromis 2013

(Piedmont, Italy; $116.99, Marquis Wine Cellars)

Considering that two of Gaja’s top-tier Barolos—the Sperss from Serralunga and the Conteisa from La Morra—each run over 500 bucks, this version from adjacent vineyards can be considered a bargain. It was a cool year in 2013, allowing slow and steady ripening while the fruit retained fresh acidity. This one always offers a textbook layout of tar and roses, leather, purple fruit, chocolate, and anise.

Gaja Sito Moresco 2016

(Piedmont, Italy; $130.34, Marquis Wine Cellars)

From this 10-hectare site in Barbaresco comes an awfully pretty blend of Nebbiolo, Merlot, and Barbera. The varieties are fermented separately, then blended together before spending a year in oak. While it can lay down for many years, it’s by all means good to go today.

Gaja Barbaresco 2013

(Piedmont, Italy; $289.99, B.C. Liquor Stores)

I had a sneak peek at Gaja’s 2016 Barbaresco that’s still going to be a while before hitting our market. Considering it’s just a baby, I was impressed by how integrated and balanced it was, with lovely cherry fruit, floral notes, and hints of cola and spice. It was my favourite of all the wines we tasted, enough to make me want to go out and grab the last few bottles of this highly touted 2013 vintage. If you have the means, I’d go to the Park Royal B.C. Liquor Store location, where there’s less than a case left on the shelf.

Of course, most of us aren’t about to drop everything to go spend 300 bucks on a bottle of wine. For those looking for something a little more accessible for tonight, I’m going to suggest Alvear Alange Tempranillo 2016 (Ribera del Guadiana, Spain), a Marquis Wine Cellars exclusive coming in at $20.78. Earthy black berry fruit and anise dominate the nose, while that black fruit gets a little more savoury on the palate, with elements of dried plum and Kalamata olives joining juicy currants and blackberries. There’s a nice smattering of fresh basil and sage, lifting the fruit profile and making it a food-friendly delight.