III 

110TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. CON. RES. 88 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

APRIL 17, 2007 

Received 

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 

Honoring the life of Ernest Gallo. 

Whereas Ernest Gallo was born March 18, 1909, in Jackson, 

California, the son of Italian immigrants, graduated from 

Modesto High School in 1927, earned a degree from Modesto Junior College, and married Amelia Franzia, 

daughter of the founders of Franzia Winery in 1931; 

Whereas Ernest Gallo, with his brother Julio Gallo, founded 

E.&J. Gallo Winery at the end of the 


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HCON 88 RDS 

Prohibition Era in 1933, beginning with only $5,900 in 

savings and a winemaking pamphlet from the Modesto 

Public Library to make their first batch, growing their 

small family-owned winery into the world’s second largest 

by volume, and selling an estimated 75,000,000 cases a 

year worldwide under approximately 100 different labels; 

Whereas Ernest Gallo began his illustrious career at a young 

age, working in his parents’ vineyard while attending Modesto High School and demonstrating his entrepreneurial 

spirit early in life by traveling at the age of 17 to complete his first business deal; 

Whereas Ernest Gallo, demonstrating great vision, anticipated the growth of the wine industry and developed the 

first-of-its kind vertically integrated company, with vineyards stretching across California, an on-site bottling 

plant, and an art department to design bottles and labels, 

changing the face of California’s wine industry; 

Whereas the Gallo Winery employs 4,600 people in the State 

of California, providing critical highly-skilled employment 

opportunities in the San Joaquin Valley and greatly contributing to the economic strength of the State; 

Whereas Ernest Gallo and the Gallo Winery were bestowed 

countless awards for achievement in winemaking, including the American Society of Enologists Merit Award, the 

wine industry’s highest honor, in 1964 for outstanding 

leadership in the wine industry, the Gold Vine Award 

from the Brotherhood of the Knights of the Vine wine 

fraternity, the 1983 Distinguished Service Award from 

The Wine Spectator, and the Winery of the Year Award 

in both 1996 and 1998 by the San Francisco International Wine Competition; and 


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HCON 88 RDS 

Whereas Ernest Gallo was widely known for his generous 

philanthropic work in the City of Modesto and throughout the state of California, including an endowment for 

the Gallo Center for the Arts in Modesto, the establishment of the Ernest Gallo Clinic and Research Center at 

the University of California at San Francisco for research into genetic, biochemical, and neurobiological aspects of alcohol abuse, and countless other healthcare and 

educational endeavors: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 

2 concurring), That Congress honors the life of Ernest 

3 Gallo, a pioneer in the field of winemaking, dedicated phi4 lanthropist, and community leader. 

Passed the House of Representatives April 16, 2007. 

Attest: LORRAINE C. MILLER, 

Clerk. 


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