E. & J Gallo Winery

E. & J Gallo Winery was founded on September 22, 1933 by brothers Ernest and Julio Gallo in Madera, California. The first year yielded 177,847 gallons. By the second year, sales reached 440,000 gallons. By 1966, the winery had become the largest in the United States based on sales volume. André sparkling wine became the largest selling sparkling wine brand in the U.S. E&J Brandy launched in 1975, the same year as Carlo Rossi. Bartles & Jaymes wine coolers arrived in 1984. Gallo Estate Wines marked the winery's entry into super-premium territory in 1993. Gallo of Sonoma followed in 1994, expanding nationally in 1998. Ecco Domani, introduced in 1996, was the first foreign-based brand developed and imported by the winery. The winery earned recognition as Winery of the Century by the Los Angeles County Fair's Wines of the America's competition in 1999 and Best American Wine Producer by the International Wine and Spirits Competition in 2000. In 2005, it became the first U.S. winery to receive ISO 14001 certification. New Amsterdam was named Spirit Brand of the Year by Wine Enthusiast in 2015. The company remained family-owned after 90 years.