Ernest Gallo was a private man who rarely granted interviews.
He made a major exception in 1969, however, by agreeing to a candid extended interview for the California Wine Industry Oral History Series that was being conducted by the University of California.
But there was a catch: The university had to agree to keep the interview secret until his death.
This is a true story.
When I was a boy, and our family couldn't afford steak, I was sent to the store twice a week to buy a dime's worth of liver each time. It was our family meal, because 10 cents was the price of a whole liver. In those days any butcher, when he sold you other meat, would give you, for nothing, enough liver to feed your dog or cat.
I shall never forget that day in May 1925, when newspapers published an article headlined "Liver Extract Eases Blood Pressure."
Dr. W.J. MacDonald had reported this discovery to the Ontario, Canada, Medical Association. The National Livestock and Meat (group) had begun sponsoring research the year before into the effects of meat in the diet. …
What happened? People all over the country rushed to their butchers to buy liver. And the price of liver went up overnight from 5 cents and 10 cents a pound to $1 a pound.
And, boy, was I glad that I no longer had to eat liver! … Imagine something like that happening to wine!
Q: What's your family's reaction to the worldwide outpouring of support being offered in response to your grandfather's passing?
A: The outpouring of support from around the world has been overwhelming and my family is greatly appreciative. It is a wonderful feeling to know that my grandfather had such a positive impact on so many people and in so many ways. He had an extraordinary zest for life and lived life to the fullest each and every day.
Q: Since the funeral services are private, how would your family like the public to show its support for your family and appreciation of your grandfather?
A: My grandfather had a great passion for his family and he was particularly proud to see his grandchildren and his brother's grandchildren become involved in the family business. I think a great sign of appreciation for his contributions would be for people this weekend to seek out their family and friends, enjoy conversation over a meal and a bottle of wine, and appreciate all that life has to offer. He loved engaging in conversations, sharing good food and, of course, a glass of wine, and he enjoyed seeing others do the same.
Q: Please share a personal story or memory about your grandfather and what he was like in private.
A: My grandfather always had an amazing zest for life and taught us to experience life. In fact, his constant quest for knowledge and experience in life was the greatest gift he gave us growing up. His gifts to us weren't material, they were amazing life experiences — fishing trips to Alaska and Canada, taking us sailing — things like that. My grandfather's last family trip was when he was 89 and the immediate family went to Turkey. I recall him swimming with us grandkids in the ocean and kayaking. The only thing he didn't do was water ski, but he watched and took pictures and was probably trying to figure out how he could. He was always there for us. He really appreciated the love of his grandchildren and enjoyed his greatgrandchildren. My daughter is 2, and we would visit my grandfather almost every Saturday for lunch. We'd eat pasta or risotto, take walks together and feed the squirrels and fish. He looked forward to spending time with his great-grandchildren until the very end. He just loved new life and was extremely energized by small children.
Q: Your grandfather had a reputation for being a difficult man to deal with. Was he misunderstood?
A: Yes, I think he was misunderstood. My grandfather was a down-to-earth man who was enormously optimistic. He never removed his name from the Modesto telephone directory so that anyone could contact him. He was very passionate and he always sought perfection in everything he did. He had a very warm heart and was very generous to causes and charities he supported. I often hear stories from employees, local residents and others how he positively impacted their lives at some point in their life.
Q: Will the Gallo Winery remain family-owned, family-run and headquartered in Modesto?
A: Being an independent, family-owned winery is our company's greatest asset and there are no plans to go public. The Gallo Winery will always be in Modesto; that will never change.
Q: With your grandfather's passing, what changes in direction are expected in the Gallo companies? For example, will we see more secondand third-generation family members becoming the public face of Gallo? Or might the winery start offering public tours or wine tastings?
A: There will be no changes in our company's leadership. A number of years ago, my grandfather turned over day-to-day operations to my dad, Joseph, who now serves as the company's chief executive officer while Julio's son, Bob, and Julio's son-in-law, Jim Coleman, serve as co-chairmen of the board of directors. Currently, there are15 Gallo family members working in the company and affiliated companies. As for the future, we are constantly focused on ways to improve and best meet the needs of our customers.
Q: How active in business decisions was your grandfather during his final years?
A: About 10 years ago, my grandfather stepped away from day-to-day operations; however, he did come to the winery regularly until the last couple of years. Throughout, he continued to be a mentor and a valuable source of insight for many within the company.
The 168-page transcript of Gallo's comments were unsealed this week and converted into a digital format, a copy of which was provided to The Bee on Thursday.
The wide-ranging interview was conducted over two weekends in his office by Ruth Teiser, who was project director for the oral history series.
"The purpose of the series is to record and preserve information on California grape growing and wine making that has existed only in the memories of wine men," Teiser wrote at the time.
Much of the interview covers historic details of E.&J. Gallo Winery operations and how its decisions were made.
Here are some excerpts from that interview:
I was born in 1909, and my father was probably 24 years of age at that time, and he must have arrived (in San Francisco) … around 1905.
That's right, because I remember him telling me stories of the earthquake in San Francisco which occurred in 1906. … And at that time Italians were not well-regarded -- probably like Mexicans are in this country today, or not even to that degree.
In any event, after working as a ditch digger for a year or so, he decided to go into the wholesale wine business. This meant that he had a cart and horse and would go out of San Francisco to down in the valley, and he happened to buy wine -- eight or 10 barrels at a time -- from my mother's father.
That's how he happened to know those people. And then would take that wine back to San Francisco and sell it to the boarding houses, the Italian boarding houses.
And immediately upon getting married, he got out of that type of business and moved to Jackson, Amador County, and started a boarding house of his own. …
He was running a boarding house for the miners and many of the miners were Italians. I was born there on March 18, 1909.
At the age of 1 year, I was farmed out to my maternal grandparents, who were the Batista Biancos in Hanford. So from the age of 1 to about 5 or 6, I lived with them.
My brother Julio was born on March 21, 1910. And he remained with our parents. And the reason, apparently, I was farmed out was that another youngster came along and it was difficult for my mother because she was running the boarding house.
My earliest recollections were those with my grandparents.
At the age of 5, I obtained my first and last drunk. It's probably the first recollection I have. I recall being in this very small winery, which was not much more than a shed in the back of the house there in Hanford. My first memory is of two men working a hand press during the vintage. …
They had a tin cup there and they'd put it under the press and get some of that freshly made wine. It was still sweet, but high in alcohol, and they'd drink a little and sit down and talk.
As a youngster of 5 I saw them do this frequently, and I remember taking the cup and filling it up and drinking it, and it tasted very, good -- sweet.
I have in my memory, and I never will forget it, these two men laughing. And I must have continued drinking because the next thing I remember I was in bed and my grandmother was standing over me.
In any event, from then on, I have never gotten drunk in my life, so it served a good purpose.
RSS
E-Mail
Print
reprint or license
