E&J Gallo Winery is dropping the names of its founders - Ernest and Julio - from its Gallo-branded Californian wine bottles in a bid to become a truly recognised global brand.

As from this month the company is rebranding its core portfolio of wines under the Gallo Family Vineyards name in recognition of the fact that second and third-generation Gallo family members are involved in the business. It said its long-term vision was to become as recognisable as brands such as Nike and Apple.

Jane Hunter, marketing director for western Europe, said the name change would make the brand more "memorable and iconic" and would remove the current confusion some consumers had with it. "We are getting rid of the Ernest and Julio branding as people didn 't get it and couldn't pronounce the names," she added.

The company is rolling out the change simultaneously across 96 countries.

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