Giovanni Armani Giorgio (GAG)
The glory days of Italian table wine
Steve Crawford (Frederick Stevenson) and Carlo Jensen (Pink Moon Saloon, Gondola Gondola) had long and confusing resumes that overlapped and intersected before they finally formalised their relationship with a partnership under the pseudonym Giovanni Armani Giorgio in 2015.
Striving to create a label that harks back to the glory days of Italian table wine, this salisicce piccanti makes wine out of a heritage listed church (Oddio), which encompasses the brand perfectly with its rustic, comforting, no fuss charm. The entire winemaking process is conducted by hand (likely with the help of some friends paid in mortadella), and was designed to produce wine that is drinkable, affordable and inspired by your Nonno’s aesthetic.
Giovanni makes unapologetic wine that is designed for comfort drinking with the philosophy that wine should be nothing too serious and instead made for pleasure, ease of drinking, social lubrication, and mangia mangia mangia. They’re not ‘fine wines’ to be pondered over. Just well-made plonk to be drunk with much joy and gusto.
“We’re really trying to capture the true poetry of Luciano Pavarotti’s vocal range in a suite of affordable wines. Because, at the end of the day, it’s all about the quality of flavour and the expression of each vineyards unique ‘ciao’.”