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Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Wine Wine Wednesday-The Brothers Gallo

Posted by Chris Chamberlain on Wed, Aug 12, 2009 at 1:55 PM

click to enlarge wineglassgrapes.jpg

When I was but a poor college student in Northern California, my friends and I used to take what we thought were ironically clever wine tours of the wineries of Modesto. Our dates were not always quite as amused. Rather than a romantic trip to Napa or Sonoma to taste fine Bordeaux blends and artisanal cheeses, we would point my 1977 Grand Safari station wagon south instead of north and visit Carlo Rossi, Gallo, Boone's Farm and "the beer of champagnes," Andre. The hangovers were epic.

But times have changed. The Central Valley is now known for some really good wines, Ernest and Julio's company has signed marketing agreements with fine wineries all over the world and has been named "International Winery of the Year" three times since 1996, and my girlfriend doesn't think I'm necessarily very clever.

The good news is that thanks to Gallo's website, I don't have to be that shrewd to pair wine and food anymore. Their Food & Wine Pairing Tool is among the simplest and most intuitive applications I have found to match your protein, spices and cooking method with the most appropriate varietals to complement the meal. The results are not Gallo-specific, so you can grab a bottle out of your wine rack or visit your favorite wine merchant with a definite plan in mind. It hasn't steered me wrong yet and I encourage you to check it out.

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Speaking (or rather typing) of Gallo's marketing partners, at the recent Southern Food and Wine Festival we tasted a Whitehaven Sauvignon Blanc from Marlbourough, New Zealand that blew us away. Sometimes, the proper evocative suggestion right before you experience a wine for the first time can really enhance the experience. As we brought the glass to our nose, Darren Rothenberg of Gallo told us to think of freshly cut jalapeños. Eureka! The crisp herbaceous aromas grabbed ahold of my nose and wouldn't let go. With at least a few hot months left this summer and oysters about to come back in season, Whitehaven would be an excellent match for a seafood boil or mussels and oysters. It would also work nicely with chicken or any light summer salad. At about $20.00 a bottle, it's worth seeking out at your favorite wine shop.

Cheers, mate!

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Trying this tonight with codburgers. Hey, I don't see "pureed fish" on the list...

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Posted by Nicki Wood on 08/13/2009 at 8:39 AM

Definitely one of my favorites this summer- much like Kim Crawford Sauv Blanc and seems fitting to insert a shameless plug that the Wine Chap (next to new Publix in Belle Meade) has it for $17.99. Tally ho!

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Posted by winechapesse on 08/14/2009 at 9:03 AM

pulled together a bunch of Gallo commercials, videos, articles, reviews from Kosmix for anyone who wants to know more. the old Gallo commercials are wonderful.
enjoy,
Eric
KosmixOnWine

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Posted by eric on 08/14/2009 at 7:13 PM

pulled together a bunch of Gallo commercials, videos, articles, reviews from Kosmix for anyone who wants to know more. the old Gallo commercials are wonderful.
http://www.kosmix.com/search/ernest_and_julio_gallo?
enjoy,
Eric
KosmixOnWine

report   
Posted by eric on 08/14/2009 at 7:13 PM
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