[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 60 (Monday, April 16, 2007)]
[House]
[Pages H3389-H3391]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
{time} 1500
HONORING THE LIFE OF ERNEST GALLO
Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the
concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 88) honoring the life of Ernest
Gallo.
The Clerk read the title of the concurrent resolution.
The text of the concurrent resolution is as follows:
H. Con. Res. 88
Whereas Ernest Gallo was born March 18, 1909, in Jackson,
California, the son of Italian immigrants, graduated from
Modesto High School in 1927, earned a degree from Modesto
Junior College, and married Amelia Franzia, daughter of the
founders of Franzia Winery in 1931;
Whereas Ernest Gallo, with his brother Julio Gallo, founded
E. & J. Gallo Winery at the end of the Prohibition Era in
1933, beginning with only $5,900 in savings and a winemaking
pamphlet from the Modesto Public Library to make their first
batch, growing their small family-owned winery into the
world's second largest by volume, and selling an estimated
75,000,000 cases a year worldwide under approximately 100
different labels;
Whereas Ernest Gallo began his illustrious career at a
young age, working in his parents' vineyard while attending
Modesto High School and demonstrating his entrepreneurial
spirit early in life by traveling at the age of 17 to
complete his first business deal;
Whereas Ernest Gallo, demonstrating great vision,
anticipated the growth of the wine industry and developed the
first-of-its kind vertically integrated company, with
vineyards stretching across California, an on-site bottling
plant, and an art department to design bottles and labels,
changing the face of California's wine industry;
Whereas the Gallo Winery employs 4,600 people in the State
of California, providing critical highly-skilled employment
opportunities in the San Joaquin Valley and greatly
contributing to the economic strength of the State;
Whereas Ernest Gallo and the Gallo Winery were bestowed
countless awards for achievement in winemaking, including the
American Society of Enologists Merit Award, the wine
industry's highest honor, in 1964 for outstanding leadership
in the wine industry, the Gold Vine Award from the
Brotherhood of the Knights of the Vine wine fraternity, the
1983 Distinguished Service Award from The Wine Spectator, and
the Winery of the Year Award in both 1996 and 1998 by the San
Francisco International Wine Competition; and
Whereas Ernest Gallo was widely known for his generous
philanthropic work in the City of Modesto and throughout the
state of California, including an endowment for the Gallo
Center for the Arts in Modesto, the establishment of the
Ernest Gallo Clinic and Research Center at the University of
California at San Francisco for research into genetic,
biochemical, and neurobiological aspects of alcohol abuse,
and countless other healthcare and educational endeavors:
Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate
concurring), That Congress honors the life of Ernest Gallo, a
pioneer in the field of winemaking, dedicated philanthropist,
and community leader.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from
California (Ms. Watson) and the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms.
Foxx) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from California.
General Leave
Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from California?
There was no objection.
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Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Ernest Gallo, who learned his craft of winemaking from a recipe in
the basement of the Modesto public library with his brother Julio and
with $5,900 of borrowed money, developed one of the largest wine
empires in the world. They founded the E. & J. Gallo Winery in 1933 at
the end of Prohibition. The Gallos rented a building and made an
ordinary wine for 50 cents a gallon. They made $30,000 their first year
of business. Mr. Ernest Gallo was an aggressive business leader who
worked long hours and then went home and worked some more. His company
made wines under more than 40 labels and employed 4,600 workers with
wine sales in over 90 countries.
For decades the name ``Gallo'' was synonymous with inexpensive
California wine. Mr. Gallo battled that image with advertisement; with
humor; and to a large extent, by buying up wineries with more exclusive
labels than his own company.
Robert Mondavi of Napa Valley, and a friend, said, ``Ernest was a
visionary. He was committed to making America a wine-drinking
country.''
Mr. Gallo lived and breathed wine. He aired wine commercials on TV
and participated on wine promotion boards. He chaired the Wine
Institute and mentored generations of winemakers. He erected wine
billboards and traveled the country checking on wine displays in
supermarkets. He enjoyed drinking his own wines, particularly a product
that morphed over years from ``red table wine'' to ``Cabernet
Sauvignon.''
Mr. Gallo had an uncanny talent for tapping into consumer tastes with
sweet products such as Boone's Farm, which was so popular in the 1970s,
which caused a worldwide shortage in the apple concentrate it was made
from, and other products like Ripple and Thunderbird.
He moved upscale in 1974, introducing high-quality, cork-finished
varietal wines, but the venture failed. He also developed E. & J.
brandy and Bartles & Jaymes wine coolers. Additionally, Mr. Gallo
developed its Gallo of Sonoma line and began buying upscale
competitors, including the Mirassou and Louis M. Martini labels, and
introducing foreign brands Ecco and other types of wine.
Mr. Gallo died unexpectedly in his Modesto home on March 6 of this
year. He lived to the ripe old age of 97. And his brother Julio Gallo
passed in 1993.
I commend the gentleman from California (Mr. Cardoza) for introducing
H. Con. Res. 88, honoring the life of Ernest Gallo, and I urge its
swift passage.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Today we honor the lifetime achievements of Ernest Gallo, one of the
most celebrated American winemakers of the last century.
Ernest Gallo was the eldest of three brothers, born in the Sierra
Nevada foothills of California to Italian immigrants. He and his
brothers grew up learning about vineyards and winemaking from their
father. Upon their parents' untimely death in 1933, Ernest and his
brother Julio took control of the family business. Learning from
library-issued pamphlets on winemaking, their goal was to make their
company nationally known for affordable and quality wine. They founded
E. & J. Gallo Winery with a humble investment of $5,900. Over time they
went on to develop one of the largest wine empires in the world, now
employing 4,600 workers and selling to 90 different countries. In fact,
his winery currently sells one out of every four bottles of wine that
Americans now consume.
Along with founding E. & J. Gallo Winery, Ernest Gallo often
supported the industry through philanthropic work. He founded the Gallo
Center for the Arts in Modesto. He established the Ernest Gallo Clinic
and Research Center at the University of California at San Francisco,
which conducts numerous studies and research for genetic, biochemical,
and neurobiological aspects of alcohol abuse, as well as health care
and education related to alcohol use.
Along with great financial success, Ernest Gallo and his winery won
numerous prestigious awards, including the wine industry's highest
honor, the American Society of Enologists Merit Award, in 1964 for
outstanding leadership in the industry. They won the Gold Vine Award,
the 1983 Distinguished Service Award from Wine Spectator, and the
Winery of the Year Award in both 1996 and 1998 from the San Francisco
International Wine Competition.
After a long and successful career as a winemaker, businessman, and
philanthropist, Gallo passed away on March 6 at the age of 97 at his
home in Modesto, California. His many distinguished accomplishments in
the wine industry and his strong community involvement deserve to be
recognized and honored by the Congress.
I urge all Members to support H. Con. Res. 88.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to
Representative Dennis A. Cardoza of California.
Mr. CARDOZA. Mr. Speaker, I rise in full support of House Concurrent
Resolution 88, honoring the life and many achievements of Ernest Gallo.
I am proud to say that Ernest Gallo was not only a constituent of
mine but he was also a dear friend. Over the years I served in the
California State legislature and here in Congress, Ernest's deep
commitment to California and to winemaking was a constant presence that
guided many of my legislative efforts.
Decades ago Ernest Gallo, along with his brother Julio, recognized
the great potential of the San Joaquin Valley, with its temperate
weather and its extraordinary fertile soil, to foster the growth of a
strong domestic wine industry. They cultivated the Gallo Winery from a
small plot of land with just a few grape varieties to a multinational
beverage company that ranks as the second largest in the world.
My district, California's 18th Congressional District, grows nearly
250 different crops, from asparagus to sweet potatoes, and is home to a
number of agricultural businesses, some small and some quite large. But
not one business has had more impact on the rich tapestry of the valley
than Gallo Winery.
The Gallo Winery provides hundreds of my constituents with high-skill
employment opportunities and serves as a solid foundation for continued
growth in the region. The Gallo family has contributed to countless
community projects throughout the valley and to medical research
projects devoted to curbing alcoholism.
Ernest Gallo and the Gallo Winery revolutionized the U.S. wine
industry. But what was once a boutique industry reserved for the upper
crust of society is now a billion dollar business that equalizes social
classes by allowing the masses to participate in wine drinking and
winemaking.
In his youth, Ernest and his brother Julio recognized an unmet need
in the wine industry. Demonstrating his acute business skills, Ernest
quickly capitalized on the market gap and set about to create
inexpensive wines for the enjoyment of all citizens. The trend of
affordable wines caught on, and quickly Gallo Winery became one of the
most respected companies in the business.
For agriculture, the impact has been just as immense. The success of
the Gallo Winery was one of the catalysts to bringing much-needed
attention to the other side of American agriculture, that which was
taking place outside of the traditional farming that was done in the
Midwest.
Furthermore, Gallo's commitment to environmentally sustainable
farming permeates the wine grape growing industry even today and will
surely be the standard for years to come.
Ernest and the entire Gallo family have long partnered with the
surrounding community, especially with the city of Modesto, to give
back in a number of generous ways. For instance, the Gallo Arts Center
in Modesto, which is under construction now, once completed will
attract quality arts and entertainment performances where there had
been virtually none before. For the first time, valley residents can
participate in the cultural experiences on par with our urban
neighbors.
However, above all, beyond Ernest's commitments and achievements in
his professional life, he must also be lauded for his personal story.
He was the son of Italian immigrants who
[[Page H3391]]
started out with nothing and, armed with little else than a brochure in
winemaking from the local library, he grew the Gallo Winery empire.
Ernest Gallo is one of the finest examples of an American success
story. Our culture praises individuals like Ernest, and rightly so. It
is what we teach our children and our children's children, that you can
take nothing for granted, that you always must take what you are given,
and in Ernest's case it was his keen business sense, and turn that gift
into something substantial.
I am proud to have represented Ernest Gallo all these years and even
more proud to have called him my friend. He will be remembered fondly
for his contributions to the industry, to agriculture, and to the
community.
I thank my colleagues for their consideration.
Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to a distinguished
Californian, a great American, and a dear friend--Ernest Gallo, the
patriarch of the family-owned E&J Gallo Winery. After 97 full years,
Ernest Gallo passed away on March 6.
Ernest and his brothers grew up growing grapes in the vineyard of
their father, an Italian immigrant. With the repeal of Prohibition in
1933, the Gallo brothers saw an opportunity to expand the family
business. With just $900 in savings, a $5000 loan, and a wine recipe
from the Modesto Public Library, Ernest and Julio began to build what
would become the world's largest winemaking empire.
Ernest became the head of the family and the head of the business; he
ran the business and Julio produced the wine. They worked throughout
their lives to improve the quality of American grapes and deserve much
of the credit for turning America into a wine-drinking country.
Their success resulted from passion and hard work. Ernest's
entrepreneurial skills, instinctive business sense, and marketing ideas
were extraordinary. He was as innovative, as he was visionary.
Ernest Gallo was also deeply generous--a patron of many charities,
education and political campaigns. He funded the Ernest Gallo Clinic
and Research Center at UCSF, one of world's preeminent academic centers
for the study of the biological basis of alcohol and substance abuse.
Ernest deeply loved his family, especially his wife Amelia and his
son David, who both preceded him in death, his son Joseph, and his four
grandchildren. I extend my deepest sympathies to them all today.
Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Watson) that the House suspend the
rules and agree to the concurrent resolution, H. Con. Res 88.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the concurrent resolution was agreed to.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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