What Does “E and J” Mean in Brandy?
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On brandy bottles labeled “E & J,” the letters E and J stand for Ernest and Julio Gallo, founders of the E & J Gallo Winery. The Gallo brothers entered into the brandy business because they were left with overabundant grape crops when Prohibition ended.
The winery’s first brandy, “Cream of California,” was launched in 1938. As of 2014, all E & J brandy production is handled by E & J Distillers in Modesto, California. It currently offers three types of brandy: VS, VSOP and XO. All E & J brandies are made with a base wine that combines Barbera, French Colombard and Grenache grapes. The wine is distilled, blended and aged in French Limousin oak barrels for varying amounts of time to create the three signature brandies.
