Wine enthusiasts and winos alike mourned the passing of a wine-making legend yesterday. Ernest Gallo, founder with brother Julio of E.&J. Gallo Winery, died surrounded by his family at age 97.

After over seven decades in the business, the Gallo brothers, (Julio died in a car accident in 1993), are widely credited with helping convert Americans into wine drinkers, making California wine famous and respected in the process.

Producing some 80 million cases of wine each year, Gallo's winery is said to sell one of every four bottles of wines Americans drink. They are also the creators of some interesting and legendary brands as well. Brands like the super low-end and super high-alcohol content Thunderbird, and the fruit-flavored Ripple. (A favorite of Fred Sanford, if I'm not mistaken.)

They were also one of the pioneers, under their Bartles & Jaymes brand, of the wine cooler - consumed in mass quantities by drunken, Spring Breaking college girls everywhere.

Thank you Ernest.