1998 Gallo Sonoma Russian River Valley Chardonnay

Gallo Family Vineyards is an off-shoot of E & J Gallo Winery, which is one of California’s historic wine producers. Brothers Ernest and Julio Gallo were selling grapes from the family vineyards when prohibition ended, and in 1933 they decided to start making wine. They taught themselves winemaking from library books and were soon selling large amounts of bulk wines. By the 1990s E & J Gallo had 25% of the American wine market and today it has become a major exporter of American wines. E & J Gallo makes, markets and distributes wine under more than 60 labels, including Andre sparkling wine, Carlo Rossi and Barefoot Wines. However in 1977 the family also decided to make premium wines, and the Gallo Family Vineyards label produces a large portfolio of red, white and rose wines.

Russian River Valley AVA is named for the river that meanders from Mendocino County in the north until it finally runs into the Pacific Ocean north of San Francisco. The AVA is cool thanks to its proximity to the northern California coast and the river, and grape growers must learn to deal with regular fog. Nevertheless in recent decades the AVA has become one of the best in the state, meaning that its wines often earn excellent reviews and have considerable cachet. The AVA status was awarded in 1983 and today the appellation has 15,000 vineyard acres. Chardonnay is the most widely planted grape though Pinot Noir has also been very successful in recent decades. Russian River Valley Pinot Noir are known for being rich, lush and filled with concentrated fruit and berry flavors. Russian River Pinot Noirs are today considered some of the best domestic Pinot Noirs.

This white variety originated in Burgundy, but is now grown around the world. Its flexibility to thrive in many regions translates to wide flavor profile in the market. Chardonnay is commonly used in making Champagne and sparkling wines.