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Voices of ACES Blog

Wine and Dine with ACE 292

Students on a tour of the processing facility with hard hats and vests on

Today our ACE 292 class got to visit E & J Gallo Winery located in Modesto, California. We got off to a bumpy start with our bus breaking down in the early morning, but once we got on the road the entire class was ecstatic to head out to Modesto and tour the winery. E & J Winery was founded in September 1933 by the brothers of Ernest and Julio Gallo. When we first got there, we met with Alan Reynolds who is the Director Central Valley Vineyards. Mr. Reynolds hosted and sponsored our amazing lunch for the day, and we wanted to personally thank him for his hospitality. Alan talked to us about his position and how he has been the senior director of Central Valley Vineyard Operations and is responsible for the farm management of over 15,000 acres of wine grapes. He took us out to see the vineyards and showed us the different types of wines they produce as well as how each of them is differently produced. Below is a picture of Alan and our class looking at the Chardonnay vineyard.

 Alan and our class looking at the Chardonnay vineyard.

Afterwards, we went and spoke to Mike DelaCruz who is the senior operations manager of Livingston winery and learned that he has been in the wine industry for 39 years. Mr. DelaCruz’s position consists of being responsible for day to day operations with a staffing level of 100 employees during their off-season. During the harvest period the staffing level is increased to 350 employees. Mike also has the responsibility of managing the annual operating plan which includes labor, equipment costs, processing material and the utility costs for the operations department. Through his years of experience, he has acquired extensive knowledge of all winery processes and specialized equipment used to produce world class wines, as well as wine making principles for crafting population and commercial premium products for marketing. The class found it super interesting to learn that it takes 8-weeks to produce and make a white wine while it takes about a year to make. We also learned that it is the largest winery processing center in the country with producing well over 200 million cases of wine per year. As we walked through the processing facility, we learned that the winery has remained company owned and has expanded over the years in order to maintain and compete at market levels. They are a massive winery company that also stores significant amounts of wine just in case during a harvest year they don’t produce as much as they wanted. While walking throughout the processing facility we had to where safety helmets and vests.

Our entire ACE 292 class was fascinated with how long and detailed the production and processing facilitates take on a day to day basis. E & J Gallo Winery is recognized today as one of the leading global producers of their products, both in the art of grape growing, wine, and spirits making. Learning about their marketing and distribution to over 90 countries really showcases how huge their overall operation is. Every student learned a lot and was grateful for the opportunity to have a close-up look at the wine process in California.

Learn more about studying abroad with IBIP