Magazine Publisher Marvin R. Shanken Unveils Never-Before-Seen Video Available Free on March 18th on WineSpectator.com
New York, NY (March 18, 2022)—Wine Spectator, the world’s leading authority on wine, today released rare, never-before-seen footage with its editor and publisher Marvin R. Shanken and the famously private Ernest Gallo, co-founder and chairman of E&J Gallo, one of the world’s largest wine companies. The interview—the first and last of its kind—took place more than two decades ago and was filmed at Gallo’s home in Modesto, Calif. The full footage has never been shown publicly, until now.
“This long-withheld film was a labor of love,” said Marvin R. Shanken, editor and publisher, Wine Spectator. “To those that don’t really know Ernest Gallo, he was like the Henry Ford of the wine business. He created the market—through his sales and marketing skills, along with his brother Julio’s incredible winemaking skills, to put out large quantities of high-quality wine at affordable prices for millions of Americans. They helped shape what wine culture in this country is today.”
The video was initially created as a birthday gift to Gallo, who had just turned 90 the month before the interview was filmed, on April 20, 1999. The newly released film includes: an introduction by CBS sportscaster and California vintner Jim Nantz; footage from the 1999 interview; a 2008 address by Shanken on the occasion of E. & J. Gallo’s 75th anniversary; and clips from Wine Spectator’s 1983 California Wine Experience.
During two days of conversations, Gallo placed his trust in Shanken, telling him about his first and very memorable wine-tasting experience at age 5, and the hardships of growing up in a grape-growing family during Prohibition; by the time Gallo’s father died in early 1933, the family business was barely hanging on. But the Repeal of Prohibition changed everything, and Gallo and his brother Julio started selling wine—the rest is history.
Today, the E&J Gallo brand portfolio has grown to more than 130 brands, with sales of 100 million cases and estimated revenues of four billion dollars in 2020. The company has 7,000 employees and markets its brand in 100 countries.
To view the full 40-minute video, visit WineSpectator.com/
About Wine Spectator
Wine Spectator is the world’s leading authority on wine. Anchored by Wine Spectator magazine, a print publication that reaches around 3 million readers worldwide, the brand also encompasses the Web’s most comprehensive wine site (WineSpectator.com), mobile platforms and a series of signature events. Wine Spectator examines the world of wine from the vineyard to the table, exploring wine’s role in contemporary culture and delivering expert reviews. Parent company M. Shanken Communications, Inc., also publishes Cigar Aficionado, Whisky Advocate, Market Watch, Shanken News Daily and Shanken’s Impact Newsletter.
