Ernest Gallo dead at 97

[RB TexLa]

http://cbs4.com/national/topstories_story_065194355.html

[Lex]

1. He definitely didn't go "before his time."

RIP.

[babylonsister]

2. Wine or Mafia? nt

[niyad]

3. RIP, ernest (raising a glass in your honour)

[Initech]

4. His funeral will be quite fun!

Lots of toasts involving Thunderbird wine!

[TomInTib]

5. Another brother died a couple of weeks ago.

The non-wine brother.

He was into cheese and Ernest and Julio wouldn't allow him to use his own name.

Some of the family lives right down the hill from me.

[Sydnie]

6. Lots of weirdness in his Yahoo Obit

about his father killing his mother. Creepy!

edited to add link - http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070307/ap_on_re_us/obit_gallo

They founded the E.&J. Gallo Winery in 1933, at the end of Prohibition, when they were still mourning the murder-suicide deaths of their parents. Ernest and Julio rented a ramshackle building, and everybody in the family pitched in to make ordinary wine for 50 cents a gallon — half the going price. The Gallos made $30,000 the first year.

<snip>


Fresno County records say their father, Joseph, shot their mother, Susie, to death in June 1933, then killed himself. That was two months before the founding of the Gallo winery.

[no_hypocrisy]

7. I remember being told in the 70s not to buy or drink Gallo wine as they were

supposed to have been exploiting the grape pickers (presumably migrant) and this was a pet project of Caesar Chavez.

[karlrschneider]

8. Note to self: Drink cheap wine.

;-)

[bleedingheart]

9. The Father of Night Train and Thunderbird

many a bum and a college kid should bow their head in silence at his passing...

check out www.bumwine.com for some very funny write-ups on the swill of kings...


from bumwine.com...and the review of Thunderbird.

"The history of Thunderbird is as interesting as the drunken effects the one experiences from the wine. When Prohibition ended, Ernest Gallo and his brothers Julio and Joe wanted to corner the young wine market. Earnest wanted the company to become "the Campbell Soup company of the wine industry" so he started selling Thunderbird in the ghettos around the country. Their radio adds featured a song that sang, "What's the word? / Thunderbird / How's it sold? / Good and cold / What's the jive? / Bird's alive / What's the price? / Thirty twice." It is said that Ernest once drove through a tough, inner city neighborhood and pulled over when he saw a bum. When Gallo rolled down his window and called out, "What's the word?" the immediate answer from the bum was, "Thunderbird."
"

[pfitz59]

10. Boycott Gallo wines!

Because of the "Gallo Law"!

http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mgallolaw.html

Not just "Gallo" wines: "In addition to the Gallo Family Vineyards brand, the company makes wine under other labels including Louis M. Martini, Mirassou Vineyards, MacMurray Ranch, Rancho Zabaco, Ecco Domani, Frei Brothers, Red Bicyclette, Bella Sera, and Bridlewood"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E_&_J_Gallo_Winery

More on the Gallo's and the estate tax. Check olut the company they keep!

http://www.citizen.org/documents/EstateTaxFinal.pdf

More....

http://www.faireconomy.org/estatetax/ETHistory.html

[Ilsa]

11. I'm drinking a red wine from Chile tonight.

Too bad they didn't do better by their harvesters.

RIP.