Today’s words come to us from Gina Gallo, third generation winemaker and granddaughter of Napa Valley legend, Ernest Gallo.
E&J Gallo is the largest winery in the United States (and the world), accounting for nearly 25% of all US wine sales. Gallo owns half the damn wine world (OK, they only own 90 different labels, but it feels like half the damn wine world). In addition to their premium labels (Gallo Estate and Signature Series), they also own highly-recognizable quaffs like Barefoot Wines, Bartles & Jaymes Wine Coolers, Boone’s Farm, and Thunderbird.
Size and sales aside, today’s words resonated with me. When I fell in love with wine over 25 years ago, I certainly didn’t fall head-over-heels for Pinot Noir. But I’m there now. As you learn about wine, your palate grows, and you naturally gravitate toward a particular variety and/or region. Today, I have more Pinot Noir in my wine cellar than any other variety. And someday, when I win the lottery, I will have more Burgundy in my wine cellar than any other region.
Salud!
