Gallo christens new wine ship

(FB) - Ofelia Gallo smashed a bottle Friday to christen a cargo ship that will carry her family's wine around the globe.

Hamburg Süd, the Germany-based owner of the ship, gave her the honor because E&J Gallo Winery of Modesto will be a prominent user.

Gallo is the wife of Joseph Gallo, president and chief executive officer of the 80-year-old company and son of co-founder Ernest Gallo.

The ceremony at Pier 35, on San Francisco's northeast waterfront, follows a tradition of breaking bottles of sparkling wine at the naming of new ships. Only this wasn't a Gallo product. It was from Oetker-Gruppe, which is the parent company of Hamburg Süd and also makes bubbly under several labels.

The 748-foot-long ship is part of a fleet used by Gallo and other California wineries to transport their products around the world and to bring in bulk wine for bottling here.

Gallo each year ships about 20,000 containers, each 20 feet long, spokesman John Segale said.

The top three routes are between North America and Europe, between South America and North America, and between Australia and North America.