This Viral Wine Brand Has Twitter Swarming With Memes

The most luxurious wines usually have fancy names to match: Chateau Lafite Rothschild, Dom Pérignon, Domaine d’Auvenay, the list goes on. Figuring out how to pronounce the label on your bottle is almost as tough as selecting which one you should buy in the first place. But right now, the name on everybody’s lips is decidedly more simple: Josh.

If you’ve ever browsed the shelves of your local wine shop in search of an affordable Cab Sauv, a bottle from Josh Cellars was likely for sale. Since founded in 2007, the California-based winery has expanded their repertoire to include 11 varietals.

Joseph Carr named the brand after his father, a military veteran who also worked as a lumberjack and firefighter. The brand honors Josh’s legacy with every bottle. And for the past week, that legacy has taken on a life of its own.

Earlier this month, a user on X shared a post about the brand’s Merlot. What started as an entirely earnest suggestion became a launchpad for online memes poking fun at the name.

With a suggested price of $17.99 a bottle, many users argued that Josh Cellars Merlot isn’t as much of an upgrade from Barefoot and Stella Rosa wine as the original post may lead us to believe. As well-balanced and delicious as it may be, ordering a glass of Josh feels just a little bit silly.

And then the memes started taking over our social media feeds like a tidal wave.

The memes surrounding Josh wine have provided the winery with more exposure than ever. Data from Google indicates that interest in Josh wine has never been higher. It's too soon to tell, but there's a good chance that this newfound brand attention will translate into a Josh renaissance.

How has Josh Cellars been handling all the memes? According to Dan Kleinman, Chief Brand Officer of Josh Cellars, they're taking the jokes in stride. "The wittiness of these posts have captivated us and we’re delighted to see our brand be part of the broader social media conversation," he says. "Let the memes flow!”

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