GAJA IS THE MYTHICAL ITALIAN WINERY THAT EVERYONE WANTS TO WORK AT (FOLLOWED BY ANTINORI): THE RESULTS OF SURVEY BY VINITALY AND WINENEWS WHO ASKED SITES’ OWN “ENONAUTS”

Upon their return from summer vacation, Italian “enonauts” dream of being hired en masse by Piemontese winery Angelo Gaja, that makes the international acclaimed cult wine. These are the results of a survey by www.winenews.it, one of the most referenced sites by wine lovers, in collaboration with Vinitaly, www.vinitaly.com, com, who, together, sent out questionnaires to over 9,500 people. The survey hoped to discover the most sought after Italian winery professionally speaking, or rather, that which is considered the “best” for prestige, geographical location, satisfaction and career opportunities offered to its employees. And enonauts had no doubts about it: Gaja, one of the most prestigious, well known, and mythical wine names in the world, is considered the dream job location for 21% of those who responded to the survey.
In the imagination of enonauts - wine enthusiasts & expert internet navigators - the Gaja brand for wine is equivalent to Ferrari for automobiles: simply put, the best. Following right behind Gaja is Antinori, another brand that symbolizes made in Italy wines. The Florentine name inspires an irresistible “professional” fascination for 18% of enonauts. Two Tuscan names tied for third place on the job wish list: Biondi Santi, the family name that represents Brunello di Montalcino, and the Tenuta dell’Ornellaia, the most refined winery of Bolgheri where one of the first Supertuscans was made; 14% of enonauts chose these two destinations. And the allure of Tuscany does not stop there: fourth place on the classification list for the ideal place to work is held by Castello Banfi, one of the biggest Brunello makers. Following that on the top ten list is Bellavista, synonymous with the big bubbles of Franciacorta, then Tenuta San Guido, where Sassicaia (another cult wine) is created, and Planeta, the most noted name among young Sicilian winemakers. Ca’ del Bosco takes sixth place together with Marchesi de’ Frescobaldi, the most famous Florentine name around the world, and Donnafugata, an innovative winery and one of the most important for Sicilian winemaking. The Umbrian winery Arnaldo Caprai, which successfully launched Sagrantino di Montefalco into a top position among international wines, is at seventh place, followed by Masciarelli, a winery from the Abruzzo. The two wineries, together with Donnafugata, are also members of the Symbola association, which reunites the best of Made in Italy: one more reason why it attracts young aspiring workers in the wine world. At ninth place is Tasca d’Almerita, the historic company of the Sicilian tradition, while Zonin, one of the largest names in Italian winemaking with its more than 1,800 hectares of vineyards, came in at tenth. But among the favorites of enonauts, many other important wineries were also cited: from the Cantina La Vis at Masi, to Felluga at Mezzacorona, Cavit at Bisol, Cantina di Santadi at Mastroberardino, and San Michele Appiano at Sella & Mosca.
The motivations for these choices? Primarily, it is the prestige and international success of these wineries, which, according to enonauts, is necessarily reflected in the quality of the work of their employees. The ethical aspect is important for many: even in the wine world social responsibility of a company - in regards to consumers, the environment, the community and the territory - is a factor that increasingly affects the identity of a company and its resulting evaluation. The majority of enonauts are oriented towards the names of their favorite wines, but there are also those who choose their favorite winery based on the beauty of the areas they are located in (the main reason why Tuscany and Sicily are so popular).
For many enonauts, above-all for young graduates, the dream is to enter a team of one of the leading large winemaking companies, that can guarantee stability and career opportunities, while there are others who prefer the more “romantic” aspect of the wine world, nominating small wineries, possibly family run and known for their high quality wines. A curiosity: many enonauts want so much to work in a famous winery that they confess to even accepting an “alternative” pay, that is, compensation with wine …