Modesto, Calif.-based E. & J. Gallo Winery is considered a pioneer in the wine industry in many respects. Brothers Julio and Ernest Gallo, the founders of the winery in 1933, are credited with helping to build the American wine industry by playing an instrumental role in introducing United States consumers to wine. Ernest, who helmed the sales and marketing side of the business, was among the pioneers of wine advertising on television and established the first national sale force within the US wine industry and was the first to introduce brand management and modern merchandising to the wine market.

On the grape growing side of the business, Julio introduced breakthroughs in quality initiatives, such as long-term grower contracts for varietal grapes and major grape research programs. And, as a family-owned winery, the largest in the world, the Gallo family takes great pride in preserving the land and the vineyards for many generations to come.

The Gallo family's commitment to protecting and enhancing the land and wildlife habitat also can be traced back to Julio and Ernest. Back in the 1930s, Julio introduced an innovative approach to land conservation in Sonoma County known as the "50/50 Give Back" plan, which continues today. For every acre of land planted in vineyard, Julio set aside one acre of property to help protect and enhance wildlife habitat. The Gallo family continues that approach to land stewardship, which is now a core part of Gallo's Sustainable Practices.

Gallo has led the way in developing and refining other new environmentally friendly practices including minimizing the use of synthetic chemicals, fertilizers and pesticides in the vineyards; recycling and reusing processed wastewater; preserving open space and greenbelts and creating new wetlands and protecting existing riparian habitats to benefit a variety of plants and wildlife, according to Joseph (better known as Joe) Gallo, CEO and co-president of E. & J. Gallo Winery and Ernest's son.

All of the winery's operational decisions reflect the family's firm belief in sound environmental management in an effort to meet or exceed federal, state and local environmental laws and regulations, develop production and agricultural practices that reduce or eliminate the impact on the environment and develop environmental and business strategies that demonstrate a long-term commitment to the communities in which the company operates.

"Our sustainability program helps the health of the vineyards, but also the longevity of the vineyards, which brings out very naturally balanced wines," notes Gina Gallo, Gallo Family Vineyards winemaker and Julio's granddaughter. "Wine is an agricultural business and when you talk about agriculture, you’re talking about, in essence, generational planning and long-term planting."

Gallo also took the lead in drafting and implementing the Code of Sustainable Wine Growing Practices as part of a collaborative effort with the Wine Institute and the California Association of Winegrape Growers. The Code promotes sustainable practices that are environmentally sound, economically feasible and socially equitable, notes Joe, and covers every aspect of the wine business including grape growing, wine making and building and maintaining productive relationships with local communities.

Through this and many other innovative environmental programs, Gallo was recognized in 2005 as the first winery in the US to receive the International Standards Organization’s ISO 14001 certification, which was created to assist companies throughout the world to reduce their impact on the environment.

The Gallo family's commitment to sustainable practices not only protects the environment and local wildlife, but also guarantees the health of the land for many generations to come.

"The signature of the Gallo Family Vineyards Wines is really the philosophy of our family itself. My grandfather Julio always had an eye toward the land and he was an amazing farmer. Growing up, I would listen to my grandfather and my father talk about the business and I got the sense that it was about the long-term planning for generations. I got the sense that everything they were doing was for us, the next generation. So when I'm creating wines, staying true to the land is always a priority," remarks Gina.

For more on Gallo’s sustainable practices, visit the company website at gallo.com.