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E & J Gallo Winery facts for kids
| Gallo | |
|---|---|
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| Location | Modesto, California, United States |
| Coordinates | 37°38′01″N 120°59′06″W / 37.6335°N 120.9851°W |
| Formerly | E & J Gallo Winery |
| Other labels |
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| Founded | 1933 |
| Key people |
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| Varietals | Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot, Pinot noir, Sauvignon blanc, Syrah |
| Distribution | International |
| Website | www.gallo.com, gallofamily.co.uk |
Gallo is a famous American company that makes and sells wine. Its main office is in Modesto, California. The company used to be called E & J Gallo Winery. It was started in 1933 by two brothers, Ernest Gallo and Julio Gallo.
Today, Gallo is the largest wine company in the world. It produces more than 3% of all the wine made each year. It is also the biggest family-owned winery in the United States. The company has thousands of employees working in California and around the world.
History
Starting the Winery
The Gallo company began during a time in American history called Prohibition. During this period, making and selling alcoholic drinks was illegal. However, the Gallo brothers were allowed to grow grapes and sell them to people in other states who could legally make wine at home.
When Prohibition ended in 1933, Ernest and Julio decided to start their own winery. They faced a lot of competition. There were over 800 other wine companies in California at the time. The brothers started with very little money, less than $6,000. Ernest borrowed $5,000 of that from his mother-in-law.
To learn how to make wine, the brothers read old pamphlets from the University of California. They found these guides in the basement of the Modesto Public Library. Julio took charge of making the wine, while Ernest focused on selling it. In their first year, they made 177,000 gallons of wine.
Muskrat trappers in Delacroix, Louisiana, 1941, gathered around a large bottle of an early Gallo wine.
Growing the Business
In the 1950s and 1960s, Gallo became known for popular brands like Thunderbird and Carlo Rossi. The company was one of the first to use modern ideas to sell wine. They were pioneers in brand management, which means creating a unique identity for each of their products.
Gallo was also the first winery to use television commercials to advertise wine. They created many famous ad campaigns. Some of their ads in the 1960s tried to connect their American wines with the famous wine regions of Europe.
The company also focused on quality. They made long-term contracts with grape growers to get the best grapes. They also started research programs to learn more about grape growing. In 1983, the company put a vintage date (the year the grapes were grown) on one of its wines for the first time.
Modern Times
During the 1980s and 1990s, Gallo started buying wine brands from Europe and Australia. By 1993, it was the largest winery in the United States.
After Ernest's son, Joe Gallo, became the head of the company, Gallo continued to grow. It bought other famous wineries, like the Louis M. Martini Winery in Napa Valley in 2002. In recent years, Gallo has bought many other well-known brands.
In 2020, the University of California, Merced announced plans for a new school named after the founders: the Ernest & Julio Gallo School of Management. In 2024, the company officially shortened its name from E & J Gallo Winery to just Gallo.
Legacy
Caring for the Environment
Gallo has worked to make wine in a way that is good for the environment. The company helped create the Code of Sustainable Wine Growing Practices. This code gives guidelines for being environmentally friendly, good for the economy, and fair to people.
Gallo also received ISO 14001 certification. This is an international award for companies that work to reduce their impact on the environment.
However, the company has also faced challenges. It has been fined for issues related to water use and waste from its glass factory. For example, in 2023, Gallo was fined for releasing wastewater into the Merced River.
Testing New Grapes
Gallo uses its large vineyards to experiment with new types of grapes. Company experts plant different grape varieties to see which ones grow best in California's various climates and soils. This research helps them discover new and interesting grapes to use in their wines.
Awards and Recognition
Over the years, Gallo has won many awards. It was named "Winery of the Year" at the San Francisco International Wine Competition in 1996, 1998, and 2001. A company that studies brands also called Gallo the world's "Most Powerful Wine Brand" for four years in a row from 2006 to 2009.
Famous Wine Brands
Gallo makes wine under its own family name, but it also owns more than 100 other brands. Here are a few of the most well-known ones:
- André is a very popular brand of sparkling wine in the United States. It comes in many different types and flavors, like Brut, Extra Dry, and strawberry.
- Carlo Rossi is a brand named after a Gallo salesman who was related to the family. He even appeared in TV commercials for the wine in the 1970s. At one time, it was the second best-selling wine brand in the country.
- Boone's Farm started as an apple wine brand. Today, its drinks are malt-based. The brand is known for its low price and is sold in convenience stores across the U.S.
- Barefoot Wine was bought by Gallo in 2005. It is famous for the footprint logo on its label. Barefoot offers many types of wine, from Cabernet Sauvignon to Pinot grigio. In 2020, the brand also launched a line of wine-based hard seltzers.
See also
- Gallo family
- Napa County wine