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The E. & J. Gallo Winery has continually
invested in research and education to improve
the quality of the wines we produce. Gallo
of Sonoma maintains this core value. |
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As
early as 1947, we initiated a formal research
program and established a special "micro-winery"
to evaluate results of viticultural experiments.
Grapes from vineyard trials were made into
wine under exacting scientific standards to
assess a number of variables.
Although the
use of stainless steel tanks was initiated
in the 1960s, their use became widespread
in the company during the 1970s. These permit
better sanitation which is essential to the
production of wines that are free of defects.
During this period we also initiated the use
of various procedures to clarify white juice
prior to, and cool temperatures during fermentation.
This permits the development of the optimum
flavor in white varietals.
We also evaluated numerous yeast strains and
have selected those that we feel give the
optimum quality for each product we produce.
Numerous advances in processing were implemented
to handle grapes more gently and to preserve
the inherent quality of the fruit. A number
of new processing technologies were investigated
and adopted during these years as well, including
centrifugation and state of the art membrane
techniques for controlled clarification of
different products. |
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Many of the innovations introduced
had been, and are being, evaluated in our Research
Winery. This facility produces anywhere from 400
to 700 experimental wines each year. These are made
to enable us to evaluate a wide range of viticultural
and enological procedures. We have examined all
the major grape varieties grown in the various growing
regions to determine which grapes are best suited
for given areas.
In addition, we have experimented with numerous
viticultural practices to optimize the quality of
fruit we produce. These include selection of the
best rootstocks and varietal clones, and establishing
optimal irrigation and canopy management practices.
Enology tests have included the evaluation of various
yeast and malolactic bacteria strains to establish
which provide the characteristics we want for each
of our products. We also evaluate various natural
enzymes to assist in processing to provide the best
extraction of color and other desirable components
and also enable better clarification and filtration
to take place.
Our Research teams have developed more and more
sophisticated abilities to analyze the components
responsible for flavor and aroma. We are able to
apply these to get qualitative and quantitative
assessments of the effects of various new procedures
with which we experiment, both in the Research Winery
and at a production scale.
These new analytical procedures now enable us to
understand and to control the use of oak in our
winemaking. Many other processes can now be examined
in detail and their effect on the composition and
sensory properties of wine more clearly understood.
This kind of knowledge will help us produce the
best possible wines consistently and predictably. |
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Because
sound relationships with our growers are so
important, we have always shared the fruits
of our research. In 1965, the Corporation
established the industry's first Grower Relations
Department — a staff of Gallo viticulturists
who continue to counsel and share research
findings with our growers.
In 1967, Gallo became
the first winery to offer long-term contracts
to selected growers — a major industry
milestone. Seven to twelve years in length,
our unprecedented contracts give growers the
economic security and incentive to replant
vineyards to the better wine grape varieties
that have become the foundation of California's
premium wine industry.
Today, the winery continues to reap the rewards
of our strong grower relationships. With hundreds
of growers throughout the state working under
long-term contracts, we have the ability to
improve the quality of the grapes that go
into all of our wines and the flexibility
to meet changing consumer tastes. |
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| Today, more than six decades of extensive research, experimentation and experience have literally borne
fruit in a whole new way, at an all new winery, Gallo of Sonoma. |
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| Here, world
class winemakers have created one of the world's
most innovative and advanced wineries. It
is here that old world winemaking techniques
are enhanced by modern technology to make
finer wines. |
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White
Wine - Whole Cluster Press Pad
At most wineries, the first stop for grapes is the
crusher-destemmer, where stems are removed and the
berries crushed in preparation for fermentation.
"We've found, especially with our white wine
varieties, that the process of crushing and de-stemming
can grind stems and seeds, adding bitterness to
the wines," explains Gina Gallo, winemaker
at Gallo of Sonoma. "This prevents the natural
fruit character from shining as brightly as it should."
The challenge:
How to get the juice out
of the grapes as gently as if it were being squeezed
by hand…the old fashioned way. The answer:
Gallo of Sonoma uses a new, gravity fed, whole cluster
press pad for its white varietals. |
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From the delivery gondolas, conveyor belts gently
carry whole grape clusters directly to membrane
presses, totally bypassing the crusher-destemmer.
The membrane press is a large cylinder with a giant
balloon inside. When the balloon is deflated, the
press is filled with grapes. The balloon is then
inflated to gently squeeze the juice from the grapes.
Once pressed, the juice is quickly drained before
it has a chance to pick up bitter flavors or lose
any of its fragrant, varietal character. |
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By
blending the craftsmanship and attention for
detail of the old world with technological
advancements, Gallo of Sonoma has also made
breakthroughs in Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel,
and Pinot Noir production; working to prevent
the tannic bitterness that makes red wines
difficult for some people to enjoy fully.
The winemakers have found that the best way
to prevent bitterness is to gently handle
grape "must" (the collection of
skins, seeds, and juice), ensuring that it
is not ground up as the wine is mixed during
fermentation…almost as if the mixing
were being done by hand…the old fashioned
way.
That's why the winery has installed temperature-controlled,
rotary fermenters for much of its red wine
making. The result: The 360-degree action
of the horizontal fermenters creates a gentle
mixing of juice and skins that provides for
complete extraction of color, aroma and flavor
resulting in rich, smooth, full-bodied wines
without the bitter tannins. |
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In
the past few years, traditional
"old world" methods
of barrel aging red wines, and
barrel fermenting and aging white
wines, have become the hallmark
of California's finest vintners.
And Gallo of Sonoma's new,
state of the art underground barrel
cellar has the ideal environment
for fermentation and aging: a
constant 65 degrees Fahrenheit
and 85 percent humidity, reminiscent
of Europe's centuries old
wine caves.
But the
climate is not what makes this
cellar so extraordinary. Rather,
it is the fact that it is home
to one of the world's most extensive
barrel research programs. Each
vintage, the winemakers work with
more than one hundred different
types of barrels from the world's
finest coopers, to match the unique
qualities of each wine to the
barrel that will best enhance
its character. This "oak
forest" boasts wood from
as far away as the famed French
forests of Vosges, Nevers and
Troncais, as well as the white
oak forests of the American Midwest.
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