Gallo Family Vineyards Celebrates 50th Anniversary of Its Hearty Burgundy Wine

21 Jan 2014 --- It was fifty years ago when the pioneering American winemakers Ernest and Julio Gallo first introduced a wine called Hearty Burgundy - a great tasting American red blend with big, generous flavors and a value proposition that helped put wine on America's dinner table.

To celebrate the golden anniversary of Hearty Burgundy, Gallo Family Vineyards has produced a limited edition bottle that pays homage to the original flavor profile that first brought Americans into wine in the 1960s and 1970s.

Hearty Burgundy was the favorite wine of the Winery's founders Ernest and Julio Gallo. The brothers originally made it as an ode to the wines they enjoyed in Italy gathered around the dinner table with family and friends sharing great food and conversation. 

Hearty Burgundy has been credited with not only introducing Americans to wine, but also for putting American wines on the map during an era when spirits dominated consumption. The passion and prowess of the Gallo brothers in winemaking and their visionary wine marketing endeavors brought this American wine with humble beginnings to iconic status. 

"We are both proud and humbled by the longevity of Hearty Burgundy," third generation family member and vice president of marketing Stephanie Gallo said. "I have so many fond memories of sharing this wine with my friends and family, especially my grandfather Ernest – it was his favorite. Now in its 50th year of production, this wine represents the spirit of my family's winery: quality wines at great value meant to be shared with all of your families."

Hearty Burgundy graced the cover of TIME in 1972 as part of an article about the booming California wine industry. In the feature, wine critic Robert Balzer called the wine "…the best wine value in the country today" as it outscored more expensive California and French reds for the TIME Board of Oenologists.

Harkening back to the original blend, this golden anniversary bottling was crafted after careful consultation with the blend's original winemakers. It offers a mouth-watering richness through a blend of dark berry and red plum flavors with subtle hints of oak. Although the exact varietal components have varied vintage to vintage, two grapes have always been a part of this wine to create a consistently rich taste that is easy to enjoy with food: Zinfandel for its brambleberry flavors and Petite Sirah for its depth and dark fruit flavors.

As its name suggests, Hearty Burgundy pairs well with a variety of hearty foods, including chili, Italian fare including red sauces, meatballs and hard cheeses like Parmesan and Romano. The limited edition bottling of Gallo Family Vineyards Hearty Burgundy will be available in February 2014 for a suggested retail price of $9 for a 1.5 liter bottle. In addition to being in the original wine style, it will also feature a special gold label, as a nod to the wine's "golden anniversary" and bear a 50th anniversary seal.