with wine used to get him in trouble when he d get caught reading wine publications at work. It all started when Joshua took a wine tasting class as an undergraduate at Cornell University. For the first time, I was jumping out of bed in the morning, excited to go to class. After graduating with a degree in chemistry, Joshua, a New York native, worked as a research technician and wine auctioneer before getting his start in the winemaking business as an assistant winemaker for a small winery in the Finger Lakes region. The winery s size offered Joshua hands-on experience in every aspect of winemaking from the vineyard through to bottling. From New York, Joshua and his wife, Lisa, moved to California where he worked for Stag s Leap Wine Cellars as a lab technician and cellar worker and later at Estancia Estates Winery where he oversaw the Merlot program and made decisions regarding picking, fermentation, aging and blending Merlot. In April 2005, Joshua joined Chateau Ste. Michelle as red winemaker. At 32, Joshua was the youngest person to be named to the position in the winery s history. Joshua manages day-to-day operations at Chateau Ste. Michelle s Canoe Ridge Estate red winemaking operations near Paterson, Washington, reporting to head winemaker Bob Bertheau. Chateau Ste. Michelle is one of the few premium wineries in the world with two winemaking operations, one devoted to whites in Woodinville, Washington (15 miles northeast of Seattle) and another devoted to reds in eastern Washington, overlooking the Columbia River. Upon arriving in Washington state, Joshua was impressed with the premium fruit he has to work with. The grapes that go into our Chateau Ste. Michelle red wines are much higher quality than what I ve had access to in the past, Joshua says. I m amazed by the intensity and structure of Washington fruit, especially the Cab-like Merlots. In addition to the quality of grapes, we also have great resources to pull from and a cooperative and supportive spirit amongst the winemaking team. Joshua s goal with Chateau Ste. Michelle s red wines is to make wine that s approachable without dumbing it down. To achieve this, Joshua and the red winemaking team strive to produce a softer mouthfeel and enhanced complexity in the Chateau Ste. Michelle red wines, while highlighting Washington fruit character.