Wine of the week: Gallo chardonnay

<p>Harvest for Gina Gallo means being on call.</p><p>“It’s not so much the length of the days during harvest,” mused Gallo, reflecting on the spontaneity of the season. “I may have to go in at 1 a.m. or 2 a.m. to check on things. It’s all up to the grapes.”</p><p>Mother Nature may rule during harvest, but Gallo has a say at the end of the day. Together they produced our wine of the week winner, the Gallo Family Vineyards, 2007 Sonoma County Chardonnay at $15.</p><p>Some say Gallo is just the face of the winery and doesn’t spend a lot of time making wine. What’s the correct perception?</p><p>“I am involved with the wines year round, including this one,” she said. “I am totally involved during the six weeks of harvest, then I am on call during fermentation. I taste the wine every two weeks as it matures then assemble the final blend.</p><p>“Even though I enjoy traveling, sharing our wines and my family’s history, my true love is making the wine.”</p><p>Gallo said the most challenging part of harvest is “the promise you make to yourself. .<TH>.<TH>. The challenge is to create the best possible wine by managing effectively the elements over which you do have control.”</p><p>The winemaker says she’s grounded during harvest — literally. “No travel during harvest,” she said. “I am focused on what is going on in the vineyards and the winery. If you miss one day, it’s akin to missing a whole week because things are moving so fast.”</p><p>Gallo said what she enjoys most about harvest is “the camaraderie and the team energy, the coming together with a common goal.”</p><p>As for the winning chardonnay, Gallo said one reason it’s a standout is because “it tastes better than the ($15) price. .<TH>.<TH>. As my great uncle (Ernest Gallo) used to say, we try to make wine that ‘drinks better than the price.’ I do look at what other wines are out there at similar prices, and my goal is to create wines that consumers will see as a better value.”</p><p>Staff writer Peg Melnik can be reached at 521-5310 or peg.melnik@pressdemocrat.com.</p>