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Gallo Wine Brands Are Often Incognito

Written by Madeline Puckette

Gallo is the largest wine brand in the world

Aerial view of E&J Gallo Winery in Modesto, CA
Aerial view of E&J Gallo Winery in Modesto, CA

If you have more than 4 bottles in your house right now, chances are, one of them has been touched by Gallo. E&J Gallo is the largest wine brand in the world and also the largest exporter of California wine. They’re also big importer/distributors of international brands (some of them are included in the graphic below!).
 
Not all of Gallo’s wines are branded with the familiar name and logo. Many of Gallo’s wine brands are incognito. A visual guide brings perspective to the enormity of the Gallo Family of wines.


The Many Faces of Gallo Family Wine Brands

Family Gallo Wine Brands List infographic

What to Expect From Gallo

The Basement Wines
The majority of Gallo wine brands focus on value. On the low end, wines such as Boone’s Farm, Andre, Wild Vines and Thunderbird will never be appreciated by wine enthusiasts. These low-end flavored wines fill in the same alcohol buying market as fuzzy navels and malt beverages. Sadly, the low end of Gallo’s product line is a bulk of the volume of wine production.
 
The Bottom Shelf
The next level up in Gallo’s portfolio includes actual wine wines. Barefoot, Red Bicyclette, and Turning Leaf are well-marketed modest and affordable wines. While these wines are not good, they have a purpose: they are often the first wine a beginner wine drinker will try. In a way they serve as training wheels to help people learn how to love wine.
 

While Gallo produces wine they hold distribution rights to some of the above brands including Brancaia from Italy and Alamos from Argentina.

The Mid Shelf
The mid-shelf selection of wines includes brands like Alamos, Martin Codax, MacMurray Ranch and Maso Canali. These are wines that have enthusiastic followings and make up the bulk of the US wine market around $10 a bottle. These wines also help wine drinkers explore different regions as they disover more about wine.
 
The Top Shelf
Even though Gallo is often associated with value wines there are a few standout selections. Bran Caia and Clarendon Hills are well appreciated by wine enthusiasts.

An Infographic on Wine Brands in the US

We are inspired by the work of Associate Professor Philip H. Howard at Michigan State University who made several infographics on food and beverage industry statistics. Looking at what the majority of US drinkers enjoy is a friendly reminder that buying wine from small wine producers is still very rare.

us-wine-market-share
US Wine Market Share by Philip H. Howard at MSU

Sources
E&J Gallo Brands List
Philip H. Howard at MSU

Written byMadeline Puckette

James Beard Award-winning author and Wine Communicator of the Year. I co-founded Wine Folly to help people learn about wine. @WineFolly


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