We’re not Joshin’: How did Josh wine become a viral hit?
Have you heard the one about the wine named Josh? The popular American wine brand, which started the month as an inspiration for numerous memes on social media, was featured on a recent Saturday Night Live episode in a skit about the Stanley cup craze. Host Dakota Johnson is seen pouring from a bottle into her refillable mug saying, “It holds almost an entire bottle of Josh… Get in there, Josh.”
It’s the second time the wine brand with the folksy, monosyllabic name has appeared on SNL. In a sketch that aired in 2021, Josh was praised by one of Kate McKinnon’s characters who said, “That’s such a neat name for wine.”
Sommelier-turned-winemaker Joseph Carr launched Josh with the release of 1,200 cases of cabernet sauvignon in 2007. The name was a tribute to his father, a military veteran and volunteer firefighter who worked as a lumberjack. The brand took off in 2011 when Carr partnered with Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits to manage sales, marketing and winemaking. An expanded portfolio includes 11 different wines under the label, including two sparkling wines made in Italy.
Sales in the United States surpassed five million cases in 2022, making the brand one of the most popular premium wine labels in North America. Those sales figures are even more impressive when you consider that wine consumption in the States is in decline. The brand is equally successful in Canada, with many Josh labels stocked in Canadian liquor stores, with the cabernet sauvignon and Prosecco Rosé standing out as strong sellers.
Wide distribution at supermarkets and liquor stores and crowd-pleasing wine styles have played into Josh’s success on the internet. While social media posts disparage Barefoot and Yellow Tail as cheap wines to avoid, Josh is viewed in a different light. The approachable style of the reds, whites, rosés and sparkling wines across the range isn’t the punchline. The unassuming name, and a label that’s classic to the point of being boring (The font spelling out Josh is inspired by Carr’s mother’s handwriting) seem to be at the root of the internet’s fascination.
Social media posts range from expected “hanging with Josh” or “pass the Josh” riffs to more elaborate, visual jokes with bottles of Josh featured in Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper or on a poster behind Mad Men’s Don Draper who is pitching: “A wine, but we call it Josh.” Within the comments, @joshcellars is sure to respond, taking advantage of the brand awareness and looking to keep the good-natured joshing going.
Published in the Globe & Mail on January 31st, 2024 by Christopher Waters.