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Ernest Gallo dead at 97 — share your best Gallo story
Ernest Gallo died Tuesday at the age of 97. Truly the end of an era.
The Associated Press story linked to above contains an intriguing fact:
Gallo was a courtly man who affected Old World manners. But in business he was tenacious, shrewd, aggressive, and secretive. He and others of the Gallo clan shunned publicity like a plague. The reason for the secretiveness, many of their former associates said, was the way his parents had died. Fresno County records say their father, Joseph, shot their mother, Susie, to death in June 1933, then killed himself. That was two months before the founding of the Gallo winery.
I never knew that.
What’s your favorite Gallo memory? I’ve got a couple. The first is the Gallo Family Vineyards Zinfandels that Ernest and Julio used to sell for, what, $6 or $7 a bottle? The stuff was aMAzing.
And who among us has not, at some point of their wine journey, suckled on the mother’s milk that was Gallo Hearty Burgundy, or Mountain Chablis, or Mellow Burgundy? Yes, it was wrong to steal those French terms. But the wines — well, they tasted better than their price tags predicted.
Did any other two men bring more wine to more people than Ernest and Julio?
Now that’s a life well-lived.
Cheers!
Mark Fisher
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Comments
By Boss
March 11, 2007 9:27 AM | Link to this
Livingston Cellars burgundy in 3 liter bottles is our everyday wine. I believe that is the successor to Gallo hearty burgundy. Did see at Party Source recently Gallo hearty burgundy in a bottle smaller than 3 liters. First time to see Gallo hearty burgundy in many years.
By mel
March 7, 2007 10:21 AM | Link to this
During my early years i had a close relationship with Ernest & Julio. My best friend and I would pool our pennies and buy a half gallon of Hearty Burgundy and a block of swiss cheese and have our own wine and cheese party. Boones Farm Apple wine got me through Grad School as the drink of choice every night after class. And one night while on a weekend pass from basic training at Fort Leonard Wood I consumed 3 bottles of Strawberry Hill (paid dearly for that mistake the next day)