• How do I host a wine tasting?
• Where can I find Gallo Family Vineyards wines in my area?
• How can I purchase wines direct from Gallo Family Vineyards?
• How should I store my wines?
• How long should I age red wines?
• At what temperature should I store my wines?
• What wines should I serve with specific foods?
• Who can I contact if I have a question about Gallo Family Vineyards wines? 
• Where is the Gallo Family Vineyards Tasting Room?
• Are you open for tours?
• How can I get more information on Gallo Family Vineyards (new products, special events)? 
• How do I get Gallo Family Vineyards promotional items?
• What is TCA?
• Is it normal for some wines to have sediment?
• Why do tartrate crystals form in some wines?
• Where can I find out information about career opportunities with Gallo Family Vineyards?
• What is a Sommelier?

Be the trendsetter in your social circle and try something unique the next time you entertain guests. If you are looking for a party idea that doesn’t require the extensive preparation of a formal dinner, yet isn’t as laid-back as a night at the movies, a wine tasting might be just what you need. Gina Gallo, third-generation Gallo Family Vineyards winemaker recommends hosting a wine tasting as an exciting entertaining alternative.

“Hosting a wine tasting is a great way to catch up with friends and learn about wine,” says Gina Gallo. “A fun way to organize the evening is to set a price range and have everyone bring a specific varietal. Cover the bottles’ labels before you pour them and then have everyone vote on their favorite wine. After the bottles are revealed, the guest who brought the winning wines gets to take the flowers home and hosts the next party.”

Follow these simple steps from Gina Gallo and you’ll be hosting an at-home tasting in no time:

Party Set-up: A wine tasting should be a pleasant and relaxing experience, so keep the guest list small to allow each person enough time to sample and discuss the different wines. Use a white tablecloth and clear stemmed glasses, as these will best show off the color of the wine. Wine spittoons or simple buckets should be easily accessible for spitting excess wine and emptying glasses. Encourage participation by placing paper and pencils at each setting, so guests can take notes or just jot down the names of their favorite wines. Or follow Gina Gallo’s lead and have a small competition where each guest votes for their favorite wine.

Tasting The Wines: The rule of thumb when tasting multiple wines is to taste white wines before reds, and within each group start with wines that are light in body before going on to fuller bodied wines. Use the chart below as a guideline:

Selecting Wines: There are several different ways to plan your tasting menu. Setting a price range and askinging each guest to bring a bottle of their choice helps ensure everyone’s satisfaction, provides variety and keeps costs down for the host. Creating a theme is a good way to taste wines from a specific region or varietal, while also learning to taste subtle differences among similar wines. If your guests are beginners, try offering several varietals to help them realize the basic differences among wine types. If you have a favorite winery, you can bring a full line of their wines to see which varietal you and your guests like best. An example of a lineup might include Gallo Family Vineyards, Sonoma Reserve Chardonnay, Gallo Family Vineyards, Sonoma Reserve Pinot Noir, Gallo Family Vineyards, Sonoma Reserve Merlot and Gallo Family Vineyards, Sonoma Reserve Single Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon. If your guests are more advanced, spice things up with a blind tasting. Covering the wine labels will make it more challenging to guess which one is in the glass. Remember to keep a second bottle of each wine on hand to offer guests more of their favorite.

Snacks and Hors d’oeuvres: Food should be kept to a minimum during the wine tasting portion of your party, as it can cloud the palate. Water and unsalted, unflavored crackers (such as Carr’s Crackers) or bread will help clear the palate between wines. Once the tasting part of the party is over, offer a variety of cheeses, breads or crackers and fruits to complement the wines you’ll be drinking.

Tasting Tactics: Holding a wine glass up to the light is the best way to determine the color, while swirling helps to determine body style and releases pleasant aromas. When tasting, try holding the wine in your mouth for at least 10 seconds to identify the different flavors and characteristics, and then discuss with your friends to see if they tasted the same thing. Wine tastings are a great way to add flair to an existing occasion or the perfect reason to create one. Cheers to a terrific tasting!

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Where can I find Gallo Family Vineyards wines in my area?

Our Gallo Family Vineyards wines are broadly available and can usually be found where fine wines are sold. Our Single Vineyard and Estate wines, on the other hand, are produced in much smaller quantities, with more limited distribution to restaurants and fine wine shops that specialize in harder-to-find wines.

If your wine shop or restaurant does not carry our wines, please speak with the owner or manager and request that a special order be placed for you. This commonly occurs in the fine wine world, and requests are typically accommodated in a short period of time. If you need assistance finding a wine shop or restaurant near you, please use our Where to Buy wine finder.

How can I purchase wines direct from Gallo Family Vineyards?

Thank you for your interest in our wines! You can purchase Gallo Family Vineyards wine and merchandise online at http://www.nexternal.com/gallo in states. If there is a particular wine in which you are interested, please use our Where to Buy wine finder or contact your local retailer.

How should I store my wines?

Two things to keep in mind about wine storage:

1. Temperature Consistency
2. Actual Temperature

Overall, temperature consistency is more important than actual temperature. It is better to store wine at a CONSISTENT temperature of 70° F (never varying by more than 1 or 2° F), than to put it someplace where it is 55° F for half of the year and 75° F for the other half of the year.

If you intend to age wines for 10, 15, 20 years or more, consider investing in a wine storage unit that maintains a constant temperature within the "ideal" 55-65° F range. Or, if you are like the majority of wine buyers who enjoy wines soon after you purchase them, you can store them in a pantry or closet that maintains the most constant temperature. Keep the wines in the boxes you got at the store, and make certain that the bottles are either upside down or on their sides (keeping the corks moist).

How long should I age red wines?

Are you a red wine drinker? Does the idea of a robust red wine rich in aromas/flavors of black cherries, raspberries and smoky oak entice you? Then drink the wine "younger" (typically one to five years from vintage for many red wines). Or are you the type who prefers your red wines with a softer, milder structure and aromas/flavors of dried cherries, figs, and cigar box cedar wood? If so, drink that same wine "older" (often times six or more years from vintage for many reds). In general, ideal wine age is dependent on many factors such as acid, tannins, winemaking technique, and varietal character. Given the winemaking style and storage temperature of wine, a red wine may be ready to drink in anywhere from one to ten years.

The first step in determining how long to age your wine is to decide what you want it to taste like when you drink it.

At what temperature should I serve my wines?

Wine should be served at one of three ideal temperatures:

1. "Room temperature" (65° F): Appropriate for medium to full-bodied red wines. In most circumstances, actual room temperature is higher; thus, you should be very careful not to serve red wines at temperatures higher than 65 - 70° F. At warmer temperatures, a wine will lose its balance and accentuate its alcohol and tannin components. Don't be afraid to chill a red wine slightly before tasting if it has heated up over this level.
2. "Slightly chilled" (57° F): Appropriate for full-bodied white wines and light-bodied red wines.
3. "Chilled" (52° F): Appropriate for light to medium-bodied white wines.

It is important not to serve wine at temperatures cooler than 52° F, as its aromas and flavors will decrease in intensity and become muted.

What wines should I serve with specific foods?

Our philosophy at Gallo Family Vineyards about wine and food pairings is twofold:

1. There are no hard and fast rules about specific wines to serve with specific foods.
2. Wine and food pairings are largely subjective, so you should enjoy what tastes best to you. In general, you should try to match the "weight" (e.g., density and richness) of the wine with the "weight" of the food for the best results.

For further wine and food pairing information, explore our Recipes.

Who can I contact if I have a question about Gallo Family Vineyards wines?

Thanks for your interest! Please use the Contact Us option at the bottom of any page in the site or call us at 707-431-5678.

Where is the Gallo Family Vineyards Tasting Room?

Our Gallo Family Vineyards Tasting Room is located on the Plaza in the heart of historic Healdsburg, Sonoma County, California. We feature the award winning wines of Gallo Family Vineyards in an intimate and inviting atmosphere and invite you to visit us anytime throughout the year.

Address
320 Center Street
Healdsburg, CA 95448
707-433-2458

Hours
Seven days a week, 10:00 AM - 6:00 pm
Open daily except Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, and New Year's Day.

Are you open for tours?

We are not currently open for tours. However, please visit our Gallo Family Vineyards Tasting Room in Healdsburg, Sonoma County, California or contact us at 707- 433-2458 for information and referrals.

How can I get more information on Gallo Family Vineyards (new products, special events)?

Sign up for our Insider newsletter to receive updates on Gallo Family Vineyards, our new products, special events, and the latest news.

How do I get Gallo Family Vineyards promotional items?

The Gallo Family Vineyards Tasting Room has select Gallo Family Vineyards merchandise available for purchase. Please contact the Tasting Room at 707- 433-2458 with your specific inquiry.

Is it normal for some wines to have sediment?

Yes. To maximize flavor and body of wines, some winemakers do not fine or filter red wines. Some of our Gallo Family Vineyards red wines are unfined and unfiltered in certain vintages, resulting in a complex wine with many layers of aromas and flavors.

Bottle aging is a very dynamic time when many exciting changes take place in the bottle. During these changes, sediment may form in any wine. Extreme temperature changes can also hasten the process. If a wine develops sediment, we suggest letting the sediment rest at the bottom of the bottle, and then decanting the wine into another container before serving.

Why do tartrate crystals form in some wines?

Some white wines can develop tartrate crystals, which are perfectly natural and do not affect the quality or purity of the wine. Tartaric acid, the primary acid in grapes, can form small crystals when wine is chilled to even refrigerator temperature. These crystals can form sediment in the bottle or adhere to the cork. If crystals form in the bottle, we suggest standing the bottle upright for a few hours; then, decanting the wine into another container before serving.

Where can I find out information about career opportunities with Gallo Family Vineyards?

Please visit jobs.gallo.com for more information about career opportunities with the winery. To apply for any position, e-mail or send your cover letter and resume, identifying the position in which you are interested, to:

Staffing Department
E. & J. Gallo Winery
P.O. Box 1130
Modesto, CA 95353
Fax: 209-341-8455
E-mail: jobs@ejgallo.com

What is a Sommelier?

A Sommelier is a wine aficionado. Sommeliers are responsible for customer guidance, selection, purchase, inventory, and storage of wines in a restaurant. Large, formal restaurants might have a staff of 2 or more Sommeliers, and smaller restaurants often have 1 or no "official" Sommeliers - rather a well trained staff.

For more information on Sommeliers and/or becoming one please go to The American Sommelier Association website. www.americansommelier.com