Happy Birthday, Julio Gallo

E & J GalloFriday, March 24 — One of the major figures of the American wine industry — Julio Gallo — was born this week in 1910. When Prohibition ended, he and his brother Ernest started making wine in humble surroundings — a rented California warehouse with equipment bought on credit. Years of hard work saw their winery became the largest in the U.S., and their creative marketing techniques helped shape the nation’s drinking tastes.

When the Gallos began their business in 1934, Americans on average drank only about a quart of wine per year. Today, that figure is 2.83 gallons per capita. The enduring Gallo establishment is joined by nearly 3,200 other wineries in America, which decant nearly $20 billion in yearly shipments.

You can find more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau online here.

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