Gallo will shut North Bay winery and chop scores of Bay Area jobs

ST. HELENA — E&J Gallo Winery, the world’s largest wine producer by volume, decided to slash nearly 100 Bay Area jobs and shutter one of its production hubs, the company reported to state labor officials.

Including the closure of The Ranch Winery in Napa County, Modesto-based Gallo will eliminate 73 jobs at three sites in St. Helena and 20 jobs in Healdsburg, WARN notices on file with the state Employment Development Department show.

“Gallo is aligning parts of our operations with our long‑term business strategy to ensure we remain well‑positioned for future success,” the company said in a statement emailed to this news organization. “As part of this process, we made the difficult decision to reduce certain Wine Country operations.”

The layoffs are scheduled to occur on April 15, the WARN letters show.

“All affected employees are receiving personalized support, transition packages, and opportunities to explore other roles within Gallo,” the company said.

Besides the closure of The Ranch Winery, the layoffs are affecting workers at Louis M. Martini Winery and Orin Swift Tasting Room, both in St. Helena, and at J Vineyards & Winery and Frei Ranch, both in Healdsburg.

“These changes are driven by market dynamics, evolving consumer demand, and available capacity across our wineries,” Gallo said.