All lovers of the fermented grape should pause this month to lift a toast to the man responsible for convincing the American public that there was an  alternative to the beer and bourbon that long dominated our alcohol  consumption. 

Ernest Gallo left us on March 6 at the tender age of 97. 

He, far more than any other figure, introduced wine to post-Prohibition America.  Ernest was growing and selling grapes in 1933 in Modesto, California when he opted to go into selling bottled wine. He convinced his older brother Julio to join him and handle production. These sons of Italian immigrants  borrowed a few thousand dollars from Ernest’s mother-in-law to start their enterprise and the rest is vinous history.

We well remember consuming Hearty Burgundy in our misspent youth and  
declaring it "not bad for a jug wine." E & J Gallo pioneered the modern wine distribution system and was the first American winery to employ its own  national sales force. By the ‘40's, Gallo was pioneering the art of shelf  placement and point-of-sale promotion in supermarkets. By the ‘60's, Gallo  was the world’s highest volume winery and became the first to advertise the product on television (soon to be followed by California rival Italian Swiss  Colony). 

Today, the Gallo heritage has evolved into fine wine production under the  direction of the founders’ grandchildren, who own or supervise several thousand acres of prime California vineyards whose crops are graced by a family of premium labels. In 2006, Gallo achieved case sales of 62 million,  according to the industry publication Wine Business Monthly.

U.S. imbibers are now consuming more wine per capita than ever before,  with domestic wine production augmented by a flood of premium wine  imports...a far cry from when Ernest launched his effort to make wine as  inherent to our culture as it was to his European ancestors. (website is http://www.gallo.com/)

Yes, wine is healthy

Recent and authoratative research studies have added to the weight of  evidence that wine has health benefits. Some two decades ago, both French and Dutch government-sponsored studies agreed that Pinot Noir enhanced one’s sexual activity. Now the American Heart Association has released  documentation that consumption of up to two glasses of wine daily externds the drinker’s life span...and the same source credits red wine for halving the risk of prostate cancer.  A new Spanish study declares that consuming dark chocolate with a young, fruity red wine such as Beaujolais or Syrah will  lessen tension and the consequent danger of cardiovascular disesase.

All things, of course are in moderation when observing these health benefits.

Rednecks share wine’s benefits

AC Nielsen, accepted guru of media measurements has just released a study showing that wine consumption among NASCAR racing fans is up 22%  from a year ago, far outpacing the U.S. per capita wine consumption growth. The Texas Motor Speedway has responded to fans’ demands by becoming the first sports venue in the Lone Star state to allow fans to purchase wine in
the grandstand during races...and you thought beer was the drink of choice for car crash followers!

Aussies target American market

Any doubt that Australia’s burgeoning wine industry is concentrating on  export expansion was erased recently by our attendance at an online seminar arranged by a Napa public relations firm on behalf of speaker Scott  McWilliams, sixth generation winemaker of perhaps Down Under’s most  prestigious label, established in 1877. McWilliams earned Australia winery of the year distinction in 2006. Scott just supervised a 2007 harvest he  described as the earliest and finest in Hunter Valley region history. The  McWilliams family now owns vineyards in the six most prominent Australian viticultural areas (Hunter, Barossa, Clare, Eden, Margaret and Coonawara).

Varietals cultivated include Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Semillon, Pinot 
Noir, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot and Riesling. This diversity of 
grapes is testament to the breadth of soil and climatic conditions across the 
Australian continent. Scott studied viticulture in France and California before
assuming the reins of his family’s winery. He personally favors Cabernet 
Sauvignon, Pinot Noir and Semillon.  (The latter variety is particularly adept at  producing quality despite drought conditions where it is raised, and it has
the acidity to retain premium quality up to 25 years in the bottle.) The 
Hunter  Valley boasts higher elevation, cool climate pockets favoring 
premium Pinot Noir, which Scott says is popular with American fine wine 
restaurant lists  and wine specialty retailers.

McWilliams’ wines are distinctive in avoiding oak flavor in Chardonnay and striving for dryness in Riesling. Scott decries the rush for expansion of  Australian wine production which "is producing a glut of new producers  sacrificing quality in favor of volume to meet export sales goals. Visit 
http://www.mcwilliamswines.com for information.

© 2007 Oregon Magazine  The photo belongs to Gallo, and is a hotlink to their site.