April 21, 2004
GalloLast week, a close friend of twenty-plus years who is prominent winemaker and I were talking about the recent E. & J. Gallo winery acquisition of Bridlewood here in Santa Barbara County. Gallo, founded in 1933, is a family owned business. As the largest winery in the world, Gallo has the resources and marketing clout unrivaled in the wine business.
Meridian, owned by Beringer which was formerly owned by Nestle, had the resources to promote Santa Barbara County as a premier winegrowing region, and they did a terrific job of "putting the county on the map." But we agreed with Gallo now a player and in the picture, they have virtually unlimited resources to promote the Santa Barbara County wine region.
Gallo, we discussed, is "old money" too-a successful family who made their wealth growing and selling wine, and very different from the "new money" which has infiltrated the county, getting into the business because of the lifestyle and not because they are impassioned by making great wine.
I was impressed to learn (from National Public Radio) years ago, that Gallo is the largest organic farming company in the United States. I already knew of Gallo's environmental sensitivity. Years ago when they sent me some wine, they requested I return them the shippers at their expense. The Gallo family is a family who are "wine people," and not yuppies who "love the lifestyle."
Odds and Ends
- I spoke to Karen Steinwachs of Flying Goat Cellars last week who asked me if I knew what the wine "f word" was. Of course, I didn't, but she reminded me, the "f word" was frost. It was a year ago this week we had frost in the county! The nights in Los Alamos and Santa Ynez have been very cold recently-too cold for short sleeves. Inland vineyards are more vulnerable to frost than coastal vineyards. Inland stretches have warmer temperatures in the summer and colder temperatures in the winter and spring since the tempering marine influence is less.
- Sunday, June 27 from 2-5:30 p.m., the Environmental Defense Center in Santa Barbara holds its annual auction fundraiser at NU Restaurant, 1129 State Street in Santa Barbara. If you love wine, you'll find a number of impressive wines to bid on in both the live and silent auction. For reservations or more information, call Katie Donovan at (805) 963-1622.
Bon appetit!
Wine lover and Santa Maria Times Wine columnist, Bob Senn, lives in the bucolic Los Alamos Valley and owns the Los Olivos Wine & Spirits Emporium.
