As a fifth generation Napa Valley winemaker, Joseph learned his way around a vineyard long before he was able to drink wine. By the time he was 19 he knew that he would continue his family’s winemaker legacy, working alongside his father at Caymus Vineyards. In 2001, he created Belle Glos, with a focus on vineyard-designated Pinot Noirs from California’s best coastal regions.

More recently, he has launched a number of new brands under Copper Cane Wines & Provisions. Joseph has a keen interest in contributing to the evolution of the wine industry, by discovering new winegrowing locations and experimenting in the cellar. He is thrilled to release BÖEN – an expression of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay made in his signature style of rich, ripe fruit flavors balanced with bright acidity and judicious hints of toasty oak.

Joseph has always focused on making wines that best represent the region in which the grapes are grown. In California, the abundance of sunshine and warm days over a long growing season contribute to wines that are rich, bold and robust – a style that he and his family have always loved.

To produce wines that are round, opulent and supple, Joseph studies the physiology of the vine throughout the growing season. When the green canes begin to lignify, or turn to wood, they take on a copper hue. This color shift signals that the green character and harsh tannins have been purged from the vine, and thus the resulting wines – the grapes are ready to be harvested. While other wine-growing regions of the world may struggle to get a fully ripened crop each vintage, it’s the norm in California to be able to achieve optimal ripeness. Joe strives for this each and every vintage.