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How the Gallo Family Built the Largest US Wine Empire
Description
Episode 9 of Family Business Stories dives into the Gallo family's grip on American wine. Lucas and Luna trace how Ernest and Julio Gallo turned a modest California winery into the world's largest wine producer, controlling one in four bottles sold in the US. They examine the succession battle that erupted when the founder's grandson took over in the 1990s, nearly tearing apart the company before a dramatic reconciliation. Specific numbers: Gallo's $5 billion annual revenue, its 80 million case volume, and the 1993 coup that ousted Ernest Gallo's chosen successor. The episode also explores how the family maintained majority ownership through three generations despite the wine industry's boom-and-bust cycles. No hot takes — just the real story behind the label you've seen in every grocery store.