Josh Cellars

Josh Cellars
Bottles of Josh Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
Location	California, United States[1]
Wine region	Mendocino Paso Robles
Founded	2007 (2007)
Key people	Joseph Carr
Parent company	Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits
Cases/yr	5,000,000[2]
Varietals	Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot, Pinot grigio, Pinot noir, rosé, Sauvignon blanc, Zinfandel
Website	joshcellars.com

Josh Cellars is an American winery that primarily produces California wine. It was launched in 2007 by American vintner Joseph Carr and named as a tribute to his father Josh. As of 2023, it was the best-selling premium table wine brand in the United States,^[3][4] and the most popular brand of wine in the country that costs more than $10 per bottle.^[5]

History

American vintner Joseph Carr, who grew up in Upstate New York, first began developing Josh Cellars in 2005 in collaboration with Sonoma-based winemaker Tom Larson.^[4][6] The company's name is a tribute to Joseph Carr's father Josh, who died in 1992 and was not a winemaker but rather a military veteran who also worked as a lumberjack and volunteer firefighter.^[7][8] The name was first suggested by Carr's mother; as Carr recounted, "although she was half joking when she said it, I loved the idea."^[7]

The company launched their first wine, a Cabernet Sauvignon, in 2007, which Carr sold out of the back of his truck with his wife Dee.^[5] They have since expanded their repertoire to include 11 varietals as of 2023, including Chardonnay, rosé, and Pinot noir, as well as a reserve collection of barrel-aged wine.^[1][5]

In 2011, Josh Cellars was acquired by the beverage conglomerate Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits, who gained control of sales, marketing, and production, while Carr remained the owner and face of the company.^[9] Josh Cellars thrived under the ownership of Deutsch amid a rapid growth period for mid-range wines, with an increase in sales from 130,000 cases in 2012 to 980,000 cases in 2015.^[2][9]

As of 2021, Josh Cellars produces wine in two Californian facilities in Paso Robles and Mendocino, a third facility in Oregon, and an additional facility in Italy where it produces two types of Prosecco.^[9]

In 2024, their production facility in Mendocino, Ray's Station Winery, was issued a cease and desist order by California's North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board, who cited local reports of "intense foul odors" coming from the facility.^[10]

Marketing and promotion

Josh Cellars was featured in an April 2021 Saturday Night Live sketch, in which a wine mom portrayed by Kate McKinnon remarked, "I love that it's called Josh ... That's such a neat name for wine," with the sketch later declaring Josh to be "the official wine of Rummikub".^[11] Joseph Carr said regarding the sketch, "It's amazing to get exposure like that. It really says something about how the brand's getting out there."^[11]

In May 2021, Josh Cellars donated $30,000 to the Children's Hospital & Medical Center in Omaha, Nebraska as part of the Josh fight, a fundraising event surrounding a "fight" between people named Josh.^[12]

In 2022, the company launched a "Joshgiving" ad campaign starring Josh Groban, calling on "Joshes across the country" to "give back to the people and communities that enrich their lives by conducting meaningful acts of thanks in the lead up to the Thanksgiving holiday."^[6]

Internet meme

In January 2024, Josh Cellars became an internet meme following a viral post on X that featured an image of Josh Cellars Merlot with the caption "I'm not gonna keep telling y'all to grow up and leave that Stella & Barefoot alone."^[2] Many users pointed out the irony of Josh's simple human name rendered in a sophisticated cursive font, posting catchphrases such as "It's Josh o'clock somewhere"^[5][13] and "Last night we let the Josh talk".^[1][14] Some memes also referenced other wineries with similar male names, such as Justin Vineyards and Bradley Vineyards.^[5]

Josh Cellars embraced the brand's newfound meme status, with Chief Brand Officer Dan Kleinman saying in a statement, "The wittiness of these posts have captivated us and we’re delighted to see our brand be part of the broader social media conversation ... Let the memes flow!"^[1]

See also

• Josh fight

References

1. Romero, Gabby (17 January 2024). "This Viral Wine Brand Has Twitter Swarming With Memes". Delish.com. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
2. Mobley, Esther (18 January 2024). "How this $20 California wine became the internet's favorite joke". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
3. Mejía, Paula (18 January 2024). "Is Josh Wine Any Good? We Asked Sommeliers Named "Josh" To Weigh In". GQ. Retrieved 19 January 2024.
4. White, Olivia (24 February 2023). "8 Things You Should Know About Josh Cellars". VinePair. Retrieved 19 January 2024.
5. Francis, Ali (18 January 2024). "The Secret to Josh Wine's Viral Success". Bon Appétit. Retrieved 19 January 2024.
6. Bitter, Alex (13 January 2024). "A $9 bottle of wine is going viral on X because its name is 'Josh'". Business Insider. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
7. Albanese, Allie (11 June 2014). "A Winemaker's Tribute to His Father". Parade. Retrieved 19 January 2024.
8. Chou, Jun (17 January 2024). "Who Is Josh, and Why Is His Wine Taking Over My Feed?". The Takeout. Retrieved 19 January 2024.
9. Barnes, Steve (18 November 2021). "Local native's Josh Cellars gets winery-of-year award". Times Union. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
10. Guerrero, Susana (9 July 2024). "Calif. wine facility causing 'intense foul odors' slapped with cease-and-desist notice". SFGate. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
11. Barnes, Steve (5 April 2021). "Joe Carr's Josh wines get poke from 'Saturday Night Live'". Times Union. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
12. Stewart, Kelsey (6 May 2021). "'Josh Fight' inspires California winery to donate $30,000 to Children's Hospital in Omaha". Omaha World-Herald. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
13. Lamour, Joseph (18 January 2024). "The Josh wine meme, explained: 'It's Josh o'clock somewhere'". Today. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
14. Winkie, Luke (19 January 2024). "What's So Funny About Josh?". Slate. Retrieved 21 January 2024.