MARCH 5TH, 2026
A tasting room of a pioneer winery
(and a new friendship in Montalcino)
Reading Time: 5 mins
Some stories begin in a very simple way.
With a phone call.
“Claudia, we have built a new tasting room. Would you like to come and see it?”
The invitation came from a winery whose manager I had known for quite some time. A place whose wines I already trusted deeply for their quality. But the new tasting space was something I had not yet experienced with my own eyes.
And so, toward the end of 2025, I decided to bring a small group of wine lovers with me and go visit.
The journey took me, once again, to Montalcino.
A land I love and that I will probably never stop telling stories about. Because Montalcino is never just one place. It is a mosaic of landscapes, people, vineyards, and stories that keep revealing new facets every time I return.
The winery I am talking about is La Gerla.
One of the pioneering wineries of the area. One of those estates that were present when Brunello di Montalcino was still writing the first important pages of its modern history.
As soon as I arrived, I was welcomed by the radiant smile of Marcella.
A bright, energetic woman with an incredible ability to connect with people almost instantly. The kind of host who makes visitors feel comfortable from the very first moment.
She guided us through the entire winery.
From the fermentation room to the large oak casks, and into the cellar where Brunello quietly rests during its long aging. But perhaps the most fascinating stop was the old cellar, where historic vintages of the estate are carefully preserved.
There, Marcella also showed us a beautiful historical object that gave the winery its name: the gerla.
A large, heavy wooden basket once used in the vineyards to carry freshly harvested grapes. A simple tool, yet a powerful symbol of the hard work that shaped this territory long before Brunello became known around the world.
As often happens to me during winery visits, one thought kept coming back to my mind.
How is it possible that I am discovering only now such a beautiful winery, in such a beautiful corner of Montalcino, with such a welcoming tasting room?
That question slowly turned into an idea.
And, from a simple conversation, a collaboration was born.
Over the past months, I had the pleasure of helping La Gerla structure its hospitality experiences a little more clearly, creating a small collection of winery visits now gathered on a dedicated space where we wanted to highlight the pioneering spirit of the estate.
Visitors who are simply passing through can enjoy a short tasting. But those who are truly curious about Sangiovese have the opportunity to go deeper, discovering how Brunello evolves in the glass year after year.
Two special experiences focus exactly on this journey through time:
- a vertical tasting of Brunello di Montalcino Cru La Pieve
- a vertical tasting of Brunello di Montalcino Riserva “Gli Angeli.
Because tasting a great Sangiovese across multiple vintages is one of the most fascinating ways to understand this land.
If you are curious to explore these experiences and see the new tasting room for yourself, you can take a look at all the available visits here.
Looking back, this small project did not just give life to a website or a new set of tasting experiences. Something else happened along the way.
The conversations became longer, the ideas more ambitious, and the connection between people stronger. What started as a simple visit slowly turned into a collaboration, and perhaps even into the beginning of a friendship.
And this, if you ask me, is one of the most beautiful things about working in the world of wine. You may start with a vineyard, a bottle, or a tasting room. But in the end, what truly remains are the people you meet along the way.
Would you like to enjoy La Gerla’s exceptional wines
but can’t make to Italy or find it nearby?
No worries!
I’ll be more than happy to ship the finest expressions of
Brunello di Montalcino La Gerla, vintage 2019,
straight to your door (nearly) worldwide.
Ready to toast?
