Wine enthusiasts of a certain age remember fondly Gallo Hearty Burgundy, the king of the jug wines that introduced several generations to California wine long before most consumers had heard the words Napa Valley.
Brothers Earnest and Julio Gallo established their winery in Modesto, California, in 1933. By the mid-1960s Gallo had become by far the largest winery in the United States in terms of sales volume, a distinction it maintains to this day.
The E&J Gallo empire is not only big, it is remarkably diverse. Almost quietly, if that is even possible, Gallo has staked out a strong position in the luxury wine market, buying up vineyards and wineries in the Napa Valley, Sonoma County, California’s Central Coast and Washington’s Columbia Valley.
Established stars such as Louis M. Martini, J. Vineyards, Talbott Vineyards, William Hill, Columbia Winery and Edna Valley Vineyards now fly the E&J Gallo flag. To be sure, Gallo hasn’t abandoned the “value” market. It’s Barefoot Cellars and Barefoot Bubbly combined sell a reported 11 million cases per year.
What’s more, the E&J Gallo company has plunged headlong into the import market and now represents several important and highly regarded Italian brands (think Jermann, Renato Ratti, Allegrini and Pieropan).
Gallo power was on full display at the 10th annual Winemaker Challenge International Wine Competition January 19-20 in San Diego. Between its own brands and its import brands, E&J Gallo entered 99 wines in the Challenge, which is judged exclusively by professional winemakers.
The results were impressive, with 77 of the Gallo entries earning medals, including two platinum awards, 17 golds and 58 silvers. The lesson from the 2019 Winemaker Challenge is obvious: big is not always bad, and sometimes it’s better!
8