Gallo Family

Almost everyone knows wines from Gallo Family from the domestic shelves, but Gallo stands for much more than simple wines. Above all, the name Gallo stands for an eventful history. The brothers Ernest and Julio Gallo have been steadily shaping American viticulture since the 1930s, and their wines continue to do so today.

An eventful beginning to history

The Gallo family bought a farm in Modesto in the Central Valley in the twenties to grow grapes. During Prohibition, it was legal to produce grapes privately. Nevertheless, the great economic crisis and the consequences of Prohibition made it difficult for the company. As a result, the family accumulated more and more debt. In 1933, the desperate father of the family, Giuseppe Gallo, shot his wife and then himself. He left behind three sons.

Ernest and Julio Gallo founded the company E. & J. Gallo Winery. Early on, the two knew how to think through their products and adapt them to demand. The breakthrough nevertheless took another 20 years. Thunderbird, a mixed drink made from port wine and lemon juice, was aimed at the African American market, which had been severely neglected until then. It hit like a bomb, and the siblings sold 120 million liters in the first year.

With this success, the financial situation of Gallo Winery improved so much that it was possible to buy up various wineries in the region. The focus was not on Napa Valley, as was the case with Mondavi, but on neighboring Sonoma County. Both growing areas are now considered the most prestigious in the States.

Other already well-known brands such as Alamos and Frei Ranch were integrated into the company. As the company grew, so did the quality, and the first barrel-aged Chardonnay was bottled in 1981. For the wine lines Gallo Family Vineyards and Turning Leaf, the focus was on single-varietal European varietals such as

• Chardonnay
• Merlot
• Cabernet Sauvignon 
• Zinfandel

were chosen.

The Gallo family and its viticulture today

For a long time, the Gallo brand was criticized for producing mass-produced wines. However, this forgets the importance that U.S. wine first gained in the world through the export of Gallo wines. The Gallos are now in their third generation with Gina and Matt. The two are also breaking new ground. in 2011, the winery became the first in the world to receive the internationally recognized ISO 14001 audited environmental management certificate.

Today, Gallo Family is considered the world's largest winery and holds nearly a quarter of the U.S. market share. Gallo wines enjoy enormous international recognition and prestige. The top wines of Ernest & Julio Gallo from the top vineyards of the Sonoma region win numerous international awards. Gina Gallo, granddaughter of Julio Gallo, is responsible for the wines of the Signature line from Sonoma.

Gentle aging and the subtle influence of wood give the white and red wines fruit fullness, power and structure. The Chardonnay grapes are fermented in wooden barrels after whole cluster pressing and pre-clarification. Slow fermentation at 16 °C is followed by malolactic fermentation. The Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel are mainly from Pasa Robles along the Central Coast and are fermented in stainless steel after destemming. The fermentation temperature is just under 30°C and the wine is aged in oak barrels for almost 1 year after pressing.