Gallo veteran does another Canadian show-and-tell
By John Schreiner
March 18, 2009
Carmen Castorina is something of a rare figure in the American wine industry.
 He was hired by E. & J. Gallo Winery in 1979 and he is still there, as director of communications. This week, he just completed his 40th trip to Canada, talking up the qualities of Gallo’s family of wines.
The continuity of his employment is refreshing, given the way that people are usually treated by the corporate behemoths of the wine world. Anyone with any seniority sooner or later is asked to go looking for “other opportunities,” since the behemoths are forever restructuring the unwieldy dinosaurs created by their acquisition departments. It is like the Taliban body count without the blood.
Carmen has been allowed to master his territories like the back of his hand, and has become a good friend to most wine writers and wine merchants. We all respect him all the more because he has served Gallo loyally and well.
Why would Gallo treat its people differently? This is the largest family-owned winery in the world. It is still run by the Gallo family. The family values, even if somewhat paternal, are sincerely held.
Gallo is not a public company saddled to the tyranny of meeting analysts’ expectations. Of course, Gallo has to make money and its people must be competent. But the ultimate goal is to meet, and exceed, the expectations of the consumers of Gallo wines.
A generation ago, those expectations were not too high. The consumers were not all that wine savvy. They just wanted a good drink at a low price. Was there ever a better burger wine than Hearty Burgundy?
At the time, Gallo had competitors that made similar rough and ready jug wines. They have either disappeared or they are cranking out dead end wines like Two Buck Chuck.
About the time that Carmen was hired, Gallo, previously largely a central valley winemaker, made its first investment in Sonoma Valley vineyards. It was the initial step in a long-term strategy to extend the Gallo product line to include more and more upscale wines.
Carmen’s job then and now was to get wine store owners and wine writers to taste the ever expanding range of Gallo wines. It was not easy at first. On more than one occasion, New York wine merchants threw him out of their stores when he tried to talk them into a pricey (by Gallo standards) Gallo varietal wine.
On one of his Canadian visits in the 1990s, he led me through a private tasting of new Sonoma wines from Gallo, including a very fine Cabernet Sauvignon that the winery had not yet released.
“Do you think we can sell this for $25?” he asked. Even though there was no Gallo wine in that price range at the time, I replied that the wine was worth every bit of that. No doubt, many others give similar advice because that wine, now called Gallo Family Vineyards Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, sells for $80.
Today, Gallo owns 19 vineyards scattered among 10 California appellations; and it operates eight wineries around the state. These include several well-known smaller family wineries that Gallo has acquired in recent years, notably Louis M. Martini and Mirassou. These continue to operate under their own names, with distinctive styles of their own.
Gallo has pulled off a neat trick of taking some of its brands up scale without abandoning the value-priced segments. On his 40th trip to Canada, Carmen hosted a massive tasting that showed how comfortably Gallo occupies all the key price points under $100.
If there is a Gallo wine above $100, I am not aware of it. Nor would I expect to see one any time soon, for the Gallo family just does not seem to have that kind of ego.
Here are notes of good Gallo wines across the range, with British Columbia prices:
Barefoot Cellars NV Pinot Grigio ($10). This is an entry level label for Gallo, with wines that deliver good value at everyday pricing. This Pinot Grigio is light, with refreshing flavours of pears and citrus. 85
Barefoot Cellars NV Chardonnay ($10). This may be an easy drinking, unassuming white but it delivers genuine varietal character. 85
Mirassou Monterey County 2006 Riesling ($15). This wine delivers juicy flavours of grapefruit, with just enough sweetness on the finish to give it easy-drinking appeal. 86
Gallo Family Vineyards Chardonnay 2007 ($16.99 for 1.5 litre bottle). Good expression of the variety with spicy tangerine flavours and a moderately buttery texture. 87
Gallo Laguna Ranch Chardonnay 2005 ($30). An elegant wine, it begins with toasty aromas and flavours. It tastes rich and buttery with layers of baked apple flavours and with a long, long finish. 91
Gallo Two Rock Vineyard Chardonnay 2005 ($30). This is a wonderful fruit-driven unoaked Chardonnay, with vivaciously fresh flavours of grapefruit and minerals and with a crisp, tangy finish. Think of a turbo-charged Chablis. 88
Gallo 2007 California Cabernet Sauvignon ($10). Unbelievable value – this juicy red begins with alluring aromas of blueberries and red currants. This is a ripe, full wine with none of the bellpepper greenness sometimes found in Cabernet. 87
Gallo 2005 Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon ($19). There is a voluptuous personality to this wine, with its plum and cherry aromas and flavours set against good oak. 88
Ghost Pines 2006 Merlot ($20). This is a soft, ripe Merlot, with flavours of plums, black cherries and vanilla. 86
Ghost Pines 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon ($20). Like the Merlot, this is a soft, full-bodied wine with flavours of plums and cassis that is designed for early drinking. 86
Bridlewood 2007 Central Coast Reserve Viognier ($23). Bridlewood is one of Gallo’s eight wineries. Apparently, in its previous life it was a rehabilitation facility for race horses near Santa Barbera. This is a luscious wine, with aromas of melons, flavours of apricots, and the crisp finish that comes from good acidity. 91
MacMurray Ranch 2007 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir ($25). In former times, this vineyard was a ranch owned by movie star Fred MacMurray. Gallo maintains the heritage buildings in the time warp when the star was alive. The wines are thoroughly modern. This juicy Pinot Noir delivers loads of spicy cherry flavours. 87
MacMurray Ranch 2007 Sonoma Coast Pinot Gris ($20). This is a refreshing white, with flavours of sweet pears and with a crisp, tangy finish. 89
Mirassou 2005 Santa Lucia Pinot Noir ($35). An outstanding example of this variety, this wine is better than many Oregon Pinot Noirs at twice the price. The aromas show attractive notes of strawberry. The flavours of strawberry and cherry dance on the silky texture of this wine. The wine manages to be light at the same time as it is full on the palate. The finish lasts and lasts. 92
Frei Brothers Reserve 2007 Russian River Pinot Noir ($28). Another elegant Pinot Noir with a silky texture and notes of cherry and strawberry. 88
Rancho Zabaco 2007 Heritage Vines Zinfandel ($23). Classically dense, spicy Zinfandel, with a muscular personality. The plum and blackberry flavours sit against a frame of oak, with a rustic earthy finish. 88
Clearly, Gallo has the bases well covered.
goodgrog@shaw.ca
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