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Our wines are rooted in gratitude and family. Scroll through the timeline below to see where and how it all began.

joseph carr standing by car

Joseph “Josh” Carr Is Born

Joseph “Josh” Carr is born in Vermont to modest means. He leaves high school at the age of 17 to work on the Rutland Railroad, sending his paychecks home to his mother.

joseph carr and his wife on their wedding day

Josh Marries Jean

As a young adult, Josh marries Jean. Shortly thereafter, he’s drafted into the military where he serves two years before returning home to work as a lumberjack and volunteer firefighter in his hometown of Berlin, NY.

joseph car family photo

Joseph Carr is Born

Joseph Carr and his twin sister, Lisa, are born. Josh instilled the importance of family and hard work into his kids from a young age. Many years later, Joseph Carr would apply these same values in creating Josh Cellars.

A bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon and someone holding a glass of wine

Joseph Carr’s Wine Journey Begins

Joseph ventures from his home in Upstate NY to Napa, CA where he discovers a love of wine.

Picture of Joseph Carr at his first job

Joseph’s First Job

Joseph begins working at the Big Tree Inn in Upstate New York, starting as a busboy and working his way up to waiter and eventually, a wine steward.

joeseph carr and wife Dee

Joseph Carr Marries Dee

Joseph Carr marries his wife Dee, who he met on a blind date. They were married for 28 years.

grapes on a vine

Following the Dream

Joseph decides to pursue his dream of starting his own wine brand, quitting his corporate job to work for himself. “My wife Dee and I opened up a bottle of wine and stayed up until 3 in the morning talking about it. The next day, I quit my job,” Joseph says.

joseph carr cabernet sauvignon

Launch of Joseph Carr Wines

Joseph Carr’s first wine brand is released, featuring premium Cabernet Sauvignon from the Napa Valley.

Josh Cellars is Born

Joseph Carr begins working on the first vintage of Josh Cellars with legendary Sonoma winemaker Tom Larson.

A bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon and a glass of wine on the back of a red pickup truck

How it All Started

Joseph Carr begins selling Josh out of the back of his truck. In the beginning, he only made one wine, Cabernet Sauvignon, but soon thereafter began making a Josh Chardonnay for his wife, Dee. From day one, proceeds from Josh Cellars have been donated to various military, veteran, and firefighter groups.

3 wine bottle on a table

Gaining Recognition

Josh Cellars begins to take off, selling 1 million cases by 2015.

Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits logo

Finding A Home

Joseph Carr partners with Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits to market and sell Josh Cellars and Joseph Carr wines.

wine bottles on a table

Building A Portfolio of Wines

Over the next few years, the Josh Cellars portfolio begins to grow and expand, adding a Merlot, Pinot Noir, Red Blend, Sauvignon Blanc and Rosé. The brand begins to take off, eventually scaling to 1 million cases in annual sales in 2015.

Reserve Family

Josh Cellars Reserve is Born

Inspired by his father’s work ethic and commitment to high standards, Joseph launches Josh Cellars Reserve, a collection of fine wines from premium vineyards in California’s North Coast and Paso Robles regions.

joseph carr and Pozzi family

Introducing Josh Cellars Prosecco

Inspired by his love for Italy, Joseph Carr partners with the Pozzi family to create Josh Cellars Prosecco, our first sparkling wine offering.

family of wines

Family of Wines

Today, Josh Cellars features 10 varietals and a premium Reserve collection of wines.

Joseph Carr of Josh Cellars wines raising a toast

Winery of the Year

Josh Cellars named American Winery of the Year by Wine Enthusiast magazine.

Making well-balanced wine takes hard work, but my dad wouldn’t have had it any other way.

Joseph Carr Founder, Josh Cellars