Josh Cellars Named 2021 American Winery of the Year by Wine Enthusiast

Annual Wine Star Awards Recognize Outstanding Achievement by Individuals and Companies in the Wine and Beverage World

News provided by

Nov 18, 2021, 11:15 ET

STAMFORD, Conn., Nov. 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Josh Cellars has been named 2021 American Winery of the Year by Wine Enthusiast. This year marks the 22nd anniversary of Wine Enthusiast's Annual Wine Star Awards, honoring individuals and companies for their outstanding contributions to the wine and beverage alcohol world.

Josh Cellars was created in 2005 by vintner Joseph Carr as a tribute to his father, Josh. Inspired by his dad's work ethic and values, Carr mortgaged his house and began selling Josh Cellars out of the back of his truck, meticulously building the brand's distribution. Josh Cellars started with one wine, Cabernet Sauvignon, and over the years has captivated consumers with eleven popular varieties, including two sparkling selections from Italy, and a Reserve portfolio of fine wines from California's best growing regions. In 2011, Carr partnered with Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits to manage the sales, marketing and production for Josh Cellars, tapping acclaimed industry expert Wayne Donaldson to lead winemaking.

"I am honored to receive the American Winery of the Year Award from Wine Enthusiast, and I share this award with all the incredible partners and consumers who've made our success possible," said Josh Cellars Brand Founder, Joseph Carr. "The values my dad instilled in me are reflected in every bottle of Josh Cellars that we painstakingly make. Producing delicious wines takes a lot of hard work, but dad wouldn't have had it any other way."

Josh Cellars has come a long way since its modest beginnings. Today, under the direction of Deutsch Family Wines & Spirits, the brand is the number one premium table wine in America, selling more than 4 million cases per year. Josh Cellars is also a top seller in all $11-14.99 California varietal segments, with the number one selling California Cabernet Sauvignon, Rosé, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, Red Blend, Pinot Grigio and number two selling Chardonnay in the country*. Despite this rapid growth, Josh Cellars has continued to elevate its wine quality as evidenced by the nine 90+ scores from Wine Enthusiast since 2019, including three this year for Cabernet Sauvignon 2019, Merlot 2019 and Reserve Bourbon Barrel Cabernet Sauvignon 2019. The wines are well known for being bold and complex but also approachable.

Through it all, Josh Cellars has remained a brand rooted in gratitude. Josh Cellars, led by Joseph Carr, consistently supports causes and communities that were important to Carr's Father Josh – from military and veteran organizations, to volunteer firefighters and out-of-work restaurant workers. Josh Cellars has donated more than $1 million to charitable organizations across the country, through direct donations and proceeds from the annual release of the Josh Cellars Reserve Lodi Cabernet Sauvignon.

"This prestigious award for Josh Cellars is the result of the extraordinary commitment of our employees, distributors, customers and consumers and the vision of brand founder, Joseph Carr," said Tom Steffanci, President of Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits. "As much as we've accomplished, the best is yet to come for Josh, with new wines on the horizon and more opportunity to give back to our communities and spread the love from which this brand was born."

To learn more about Josh Cellars, visit www.JoshCellars.com. Follow @JoshCellars on Instagram for the latest brand updates.

*Source: IRI Total US MULO 52 w/e 10/24/21, Cognos Data 12M thru September 2021.

About Josh Cellars

Josh Cellars was founded by Joseph Carr, a sommelier and vintner. Josh Cellars offers bold, complex and approachable wines for drinking with family and friends. Sourced from vineyards across California and Italy, Josh Cellars offers 11 varieties, including Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Rosé, Legacy Red Blend, Pinot Gris, Prosecco, Prosecco Rosé and Pinot Grigio. Josh Cellars also offers a more premium Reserve tier of wines, which includes North Coast Cabernet Sauvignon, Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon, North Coast Chardonnay and Bourbon Barrel Aged Cabernet Sauvignon. Josh Cellars wines are available at retailers nationwide and for purchase online: www.joshcellars.com

About Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits

Initially called W.J. Deutsch & Sons Ltd., the company was founded in 1981 by Chairman Bill Deutsch to market quality wines produced by prestigious families from major wine regions of the world. In 2009, it announced the expansion of the award-winning company to include a spirits portfolio. Today the company is renowned for its brand-building prowess and its ability to meet the needs of the modern consumer. Bill's son Peter Deutsch is CEO; thus, two generations of the Deutsch family work side by side in their continuous quest to build strong brands and relationships throughout the wine and spirits industry.

The portfolio includes award-winning wines from Australia: [ yellow tail ], [ yellow tail ] Bubbles; [ yellow tail ] Pure Bright; California: Bellacosa; Girard Winery, Joseph Carr, Josh Cellars, Josh Cellars Reserve, Layer Cake; The Calling; France: Andre Lurton, Cave de Lugny, Fleurs de Prairie, Hob Nob Vineyards, Sauvion et Fils; Italy: Barone Fini, Villa Pozzi; New Zealand: The Crossings; Portugal: Quinta Do Vale Meao; Argentina: Clos de los Siete; and award-winning spirits: Redemption Whiskey, Bib & Tucker Bourbon, Masterson's Rye, Luksusowa Vodka and Gray Whale Gin. www.deutschfamily.com