From Passion Project To Category Leader: Josh Cellars' Founder On Building America's Number One Premium Wine Brand

In crowded industries, standing out often requires more than a great product. Today’s most successful brands are increasingly built on authenticity, emotional connection, and a clear sense of purpose — qualities that can be difficult to manufacture but are powerful when they resonate with consumers. 

This is exactly the journey Joseph Carr navigated as he transformed a small passion project into Josh Cellars, America’s No. 1-selling table wine brand. During CO—’s 2026 Small Business Day, Carr spoke with Barbara Thau, Senior Editorial Director of Features at CO—, about his unconventional path into the wine industry, the deeply personal story behind the Josh Cellars brand, and the business lessons entrepreneurs can apply to their own growth journeys.

Building a brand rooted in authenticity and storytelling

Carr’s story began far from the vineyards of Napa Valley. Raised in a small lumber mill town in upstate New York, Carr described growing up in a blue-collar family where hard work and survival shaped daily life.

After high school, Carr hitchhiked to California with little money and eventually discovered Napa Valley, where a chance encounter with a local family — and a glass of cabernet sauvignon — sparked his fascination with wine. 

“In 1978, Napa Valley … was filled with … [families] from Spain and France and Italy [who were] following the American dream, producing wine and bringing their culture,” Carr said. “I met a family [who] gave me a sandwich … [and] a glass of wine. It was like nothing I'd ever tasted before. And that's really where the love affair began.”

Years later, after building a career as a sommelier and wine executive, Carr launched Josh Cellars in 2008. He named the brand after his father as a tribute to the core values of respect, trust, a blue-collar work ethic, and family that he learned growing up. According to Carr, that origin story became one of the brand’s greatest differentiators in a highly competitive wine market.

“The Josh Cellars story and journey is authentic, and it's real,” he said. “I told the story of my dad, this blue-collar guy that instilled these core values in me, and I wanted to make a wine that was approachable, complex, balanced, and a good value. I really felt that the American consumer needed that.”

[Read more: Crafting Connection: How to Tell Your Small Business Story] 

Making wine more approachable helped Josh Cellars stand out

Carr explained that one of his core goals was to remove the intimidation and exclusivity often associated with wine culture. That strategy resonated with consumers. What started with Carr selling bottles from the back of his truck eventually grew into a nationally recognized premium wine brand that sells roughly 7 million cases annually.

Carr noted that social media also played an unexpected role in the brand’s expansion, particularly among younger consumers. Personal stories shared online about everyday moments and celebrations involving Josh Cellars wines helped strengthen emotional connections with customers.

“We heard all these wonderful stories about people sharing our wine, whether it was a first date, or maybe it was a wedding, or it was a life well-lived,” said Carr. “We would sit around the supper table and listen to these stories, and it was really amazing.”

The brand later gained additional momentum through viral social media memes and appearances in “Saturday Night Live” sketches, helping Josh Cellars reach millennials and Gen Z consumers in a category that traditionally skews older.

[Read more: How to Build a Strong Brand Identity in a Crowded Market] 

Be flexible and surround yourself with people who believe in you

Throughout the discussion, Carr emphasized the importance of remaining flexible as consumer preferences and market conditions evolve. He pointed to Josh Cellars’ expansion into nonalcoholic beverages and wine-based cocktails as examples of adapting to changing consumer trends and younger audiences.

“You have to learn how to pivot,” Carr said. “Be ready to pivot at any moment in time.”

He also reflected on the entrepreneurial mindset required to build a business from scratch, including the financial risks he and his wife took when they refinanced their home to launch the company. He encouraged entrepreneurs to surround themselves with people who share their vision, continue learning new skills, and remain committed even during uncertain moments.

“Start something that you love to do, and hopefully you do it with someone … [who] believes in you,” said Carr. “Because if you work with people that believe in you, this is what happens.”