Ernest and Julio Gallo

Co-Founders
E & J Gallo Winery

(Ernest Gallo 1909 - 2007) (Julio Gallo 1910 - 1993)

Ernest and Julio Gallo

Brothers Ernest and Julio Gallo were born in modest circumstances on the edge of California’s Central Valley, children of an Italian immigrant family with roots in the Piemonte region. Together, with their wives and children and grandchildren, they spent a lifetime building a business that made Gallo the best known name in California winemaking.

The boys grew up close to the soil, working in their father’s vineyard in the farming community of Modesto. Julio had a home in that vineyard until his death in 1993. Ernest still lives there. Early in life they adopted a determined work ethic that served them well throughout their careers.

As the end of Prohibition approached in 1933, the brothers borrowed $5,000 for working capital, went to the library for a book on making wine, and opened a winery in an old railroad shed. Following their natural inclinations, Julio became the grape grower and winemaker while Ernest handled the business of selling the wine.

For the first few years, the Gallos primarily sold bulk wine in barrels bearing their name. In 1941, the first bottled table wines called “Gallo” appeared. Julio continuously pursued his quest for quality and consistency to help create an American appetite for wine. Ernest convinced stores and restaurants to offer their products proudly and used advertising to put wine on more family dinner tables every year.

The E. & J. Gallo Winery was the first to seize the benefits of vertical integration, consolidating their economies of scale and maintaining control over every aspect of their wine from the vineyard to the glass on the table. The brothers made their own bottles, their own labels, their own ads, even delivered the wine in their own trucks.

They invested continuously in research on winegrowing and winemaking, believing that science supports the art of the winemaker. They believed strongly that the strength of their family was also the strength of their business, and the winery remains privately held.

Through the decades, Ernest and Julio Gallo built a business and a reputation based on the guarantee of quality and value. In the 1980s, the winery began to expand into international markets, and today their wines are enjoyed in nearly 100 countries around the world.

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