Bob Gallo, who helped lead world’s largest winery, dies. ‘Steward of the environment, industry’

Bob Gallo, a second-generation leader at the world’s largest winery — with holdings spanning much of California, including San Luis Obispo County — has died.

E.&J. Gallo Winery announced that he died Saturday at 89.

Robert J. Gallo was the son of Julio Gallo, who founded the business in 1933 with brother Ernest Gallo. It has since become the world’s largest winery and also has several lines of spirits.

Bob Gallo and his wife, Marie, helped bring about the Gallo Center for the Arts, a performance venue in downtown Modesto. They also supported education, river preservation, the Catholic Church and other causes.

“My uncle was a steward of the environment and industry,” said Ernest J. Gallo, the third-generation chief executive officer, in a news release. “Because of his involvement and leadership, our business and industry are well positioned for the future.”

Bob and Marie Gallo were married for 63 years, until her death in 2021. They had eight children, one of whom died at 16. Members of the third generation play key roles in the still family-owned winery.

Gallo employs about 7,000 people at the Modesto headquarters and elsewhere.

It sources grapes from coastal and other regions of California, along with Washington and New York states and several other nations. It recently built an East Coast distribution hub in South Carolina.

The company has a large footprint in San Luis Obispo County, where it was the sixth largest property taxpayer in the 2022-23 fiscal year. Locally, it owns Denner Vineyards in Paso Robles, Edna Valley Vineyard outside of San Luis Obispo and Courtside Cellars in San Miguel.

Gallo got into spirits with brandy in 1975. It has since added gin, vodka, tequila, rum, whiskey and other spirits, including distribution deals with other companies. Gallo entered the beer sector with an investment this year in Montucky Cold Snack.

Bob Gallo’s titles included co-president and co-chairman during his tenure with the company.

Gallo helped expand world’s largest winery, led preservation efforts

Bob Gallo graduated from Oregon State University in 1956, then served in the Navy for two years. He joined he family business in 1958, as it was launching its bottle-making plant in Modesto. He later helped create G-3 Enterprises, which does wine labels, closures and trucking under third-generation managers.

Gallo’s tenure included acquisition of the Barefoot wine brand, a top seller in the lower price range, and premium labels such as Louis M. Martini Winery in Napa.

Gallo expanded on his father’s practice of setting aside one acre of wildlife habitat for every North Coast acre planted with grapevines. A few miles west of Modesto, the family farms in a way that aided the recovery of Aleutian cackling geese, a winter visitor.

“It’s due to his passion,” the current CEO said, “that thousands of acres of land are preserved as wildlife habitats and a lasting foundation of philanthropy has been created to live on as his and Marie’s legacy.”

Wine leader was noted philanthropist, force behind Modesto arts center

The Gallo Center opened in 2007. It has brought in well-known acts around the world and also is home to local opera, ballet, symphony and drama troupes.

Bob and Marie Gallo were major supporters of St. Stanislaus Catholic Church and other functions of the Diocese of Stockton. They also donated to the University of California, Merced, where Bob Gallo was a foundation trustee emeritus.

He worked with other California producers on the Code of Sustainable Wine Growing Practices. Gallo Glass Co. has its own set of standards, including recycling waste into new bottles.

In 2020, the couple received the Wine Star Lifetime Achievement Award from Wine Enthusiast magazine.

Bob Gallo also served on boards for the Wine Institute, the UC San Francisco Medical Foundation, the American Farmland Trust and the American Vineyard Foundation.

The Gallos were preceded in death by a son, Mark. They also are parents to Julie Vander Wall, John Gallo, Matthew Gallo, Thomas Gallo, Gina Gallo-Boisset, Amy Gallo and Mary E. Gallo-Lucisano. The couple had 22 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.