E & J Gallo Winery

E & J Gallo Winery is a winery and distributor headquartered in Modesto, California. It was founded in 1933 by Ernest Gallo and Julio Gallo, and is the largest exporter of California wines.

History

The two brothers started the winery in 1933, following the repeal of Prohibition after years of growing and selling grapes. Ernest and Julio were competing against larger, more established, and better financed companies, including more than 800 wine companies established in the first few years after the repeal of Prohibition in California. Their starting capital was less than $6,000, with $5,000 of that borrowed by Ernest from his mother-in-law. The brothers learned the craft of commercial winemaking by reading old, pre-Prohibition pamphlets published by the University of California which they retrieved from the basement of the Modesto Public Library.

By 1993, E. & J. Gallo was the country's largest winery, with a 25% share of the American wine market.

Business

Trademark disputes