Word: wineing
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...purists are right that Gallo takes a nontraditional approach to selecting which wines to distribute. It asks consumers what they want--which is second nature in most industries but not the wine biz. Gallo interviews thousands of American wine drinkers every year, inquiring about the flavors they like and their buying habits. The company has used those data to craft flavor profiles for all major wine types. Each profile is a three-dimensional grid charting the possible flavors and consumers' reactions to them. Gallo's winemakers are then encouraged to craft wines that will get a favorable rating...
Gallo (like most other wineries) won't reveal its winemaking techniques but maintains that there are no additives in its wines and that its French and Italian wines meet those countries' strict production laws. But winemakers today have many techniques at their disposal: they can choose grapes carefully and blend grapes from several different vineyards. During fermentation, they make dozens of choices, such as what the temperature in the tank should be and what kind of yeast should be added. Reverse osmosis can also be used to remove excess water or alcohol; micro-oxygenation can soften a red wine...
Gallo executives say their imported wines, despite the tinkering, reflect the traditions of their local partners. "We need to develop wines of all styles from all areas, reflective of all terroirs if we are to give consumers what they want," says David Lane, senior marketing director. "They want wines that taste unique to the area." In other words, American consumers aren't looking for one mass-produced Wonder-bread wine, so why try to make, say, a French Chardonnay that tastes like one from California? That would defeat Gallo's whole purpose in pursuing international wines...
...Gallo is continuing the pursuit, critics notwithstanding. After Red Bicyclette's success, the company released a new French wine in April: Pont d'Avignon, a Côtes du Rhône from the Rhône Valley. It's about twice the price of Red Bicyclette but boasts flavors that are more complex and reflect the Rhône terroir. Da Vinci, a new Chianti that Gallo produced with Cantine de Leonardo Da Vinci's Alberto Antinoni, hit stores last year and is similarly higher priced. Like Pont d'Avignon, Da Vinci has the slick packaging of Gallo's other imports. Here...
...Gallo is already planning new international brands, from Chile and Germany. He thinks the company's New Zealand partnership has a lot of potential. "Our objective is to fill as many different niches as we can," says Gallo. It's wine on a global scale, a long way from California jug wine, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. --With reporting by Liz Keenan/Sydney, Mimi Murphy/Rome and Grant Rosenberg/Paris