Thunderbird (wine)

In the 1940s, Ernest Gallo wanted to expand his wine-making business by marketing to groups he felt were underserved but potentially lucrative.^[3] After several new products failed on the market, including a beverage marketed towards women called Gallo-ette^[4] and a low-alcohol apple wine called Scotty, he found success with Thunderbird, which was targeted to the African-American community.

A change in federal law during 1955 allowed wine to be modified with flavoring agents without resulting in a higher tax, which previously would have impacted the final price of the product. A Los Angeles Gallo salesman noticed liquor store cashiers kept a bottle of concentrated lemon juice behind the counter and would add this to bottles of white port wine upon the request of the African-American purchaser. Upon learning this, Gallo instructed his staff to develop a wine beverage which resulted in Thunderbird, a sweetened, fortified lemon-flavored port wine. This product was very successful, and sold 32 million gallons in 1957, its first year of production^[3] enabling Gallo to reposition from third place to first place in the California wine market and eventually become the top winemaker in the US.^[5]

Gallo employed celebrity actor James Mason to help market the wine in television ads.^[6] Thunderbird is frequently mentioned in songs.^[7]

An early radio jingle, which followed a blues theme, contained the lyrics: What's the word? Thunderbird! / How's it sold? Good and cold. / What's the jive? Bird's alive! / What's the price? Thirty twice.. Inflation later necessitated an update to the last line to "a dollar twice"^[7]

As of 2018, the original wine was discontinued and the Thunderbird name and logo repurposed for a new range of traditional wines in black bottles.^[1]