Josh Maloney on the Art, Science, and Beauty of Winemaking

“I am so grateful that I get to do something every day that I love, and I get paid for it,” says Josh Maloney, winemaker. “How lucky am I?”

An accomplished trombonist in high school, he almost went into music instead of chemistry, but an advisor told him the last thing the world needed was another poor musician.

At Cornell University, where Josh was matriculated, it was a rite of passage for seniors to take the Introduction to Wines class (and it still is! Read more here.)

“On Wednesdays, you’d see people heading off to class, each carrying their little lunchbox that held three glasses,” he remembers. “The first 75% of class was lecture and the rest tasting. We went by region. Halfway through this class, I had my epiphany wine.”

Josh believes most wine people have an epiphany wine—a wine that sparks their imagination and catapults them into the wine world. For Josh, it was a 1959 Vosne-Romanée, a very old Burgundy. He had an emotional reaction to the wine, and it surprised him.

“I had a big reaction to a sip of this wine. It was similar to listening to and playing music,” he says. “Wine is more than a beverage; it’s an art form.”

Thinking back, Josh disagrees with his advisor’s advice to eschew music professionally. “The world needs more artists and musicians. They bring joy and beauty to the world.”

Winemakers, as we know, do the same.

After a couple of stints selling wine and working in a lab, Josh started his winemaking career in the late 90s as Assistant Winemaker for Heron Hill Winery in the Finger Lakes.

“It was the first time I was excited to go to work. I loved getting to learn,” he says. “When you are bottling wine, you work hard and then you have something in your hand to show for it, and to enjoy.”

After a few years, Josh moved to Napa and got a job as a harvest intern at the famed Stag’s Leap Winery. “At the time, I thought you needed to go to California to be serious about wine,” he says. He moved to Monterey County after that experience and spent five years at Estancia Vineyards. And then, Chateau Ste. Michelle approached him about becoming their red winemaker.

“I knew nothing about Washington wine,” Josh admits. “But then I tasted the wines, and I was blown away. I felt like I had been let in on a secret.”

Josh built valuable skills in his six years with the company, noting that “working with a large, corporate winery is very different than a boutique winery. Not easier either way, but a different set of skills.” When he decided to move into consulting full-time in 2016, he brought both skill sets with him.

Circling back to music, Josh compares the steadiness of being in a band to the changeability of being a gig player. “If you play in a band and have the same set list every night, you get really good at that set list. You’ll be the best,” he says. “If you’re a gig musician, you play with different musicians all the time and pick up different styles and techniques. You discover new ideas. This is how I approach consulting.”

He says that most people hire a consultant because they like the style of wine that person is known for, but that what’s most important is to help the client figure out what they should be making and then make the best version of that. “It’s such a personal thing, wine style.”

In 2021, when Josh was looking for some Sangiovese for a client, he asked his longtime colleague Andrew Schultz (now the Vineyard Manager for Wheatfield Vines Vineyard) if he knew where Josh could get some. Andrew introduced him to Steve Bruere (Smart move, Andrew!).

“Steve was tight on Sangio so offered me some Syrah,” says Josh. But Josh really wanted to fulfill his client’s wishes so he told Steve that if he could spare some Sangiovese, Josh would make him some Syrah at no cost for one vintage.

Wheatfield Vines Vineyard, which is just outside the Rocks District, has a lot of the minerality for which this area is known. The more Josh tasted and experienced, the more he became fascinated by what could be done.

“The grapes retain acidity really well. Amazing color,” he admires. “The vineyard has all the best quality of The Rocks.”

When the ‘21 vintage was in barrel, Steve asked Josh to join the winemaking team and focus on wines from the Wheatfield Vines Vineyard.

During the last week of July, Josh and the team bottled the 2022 La Bruere Syrah (Fall 2025 release), the Terre Barone Sangiovese (Spring 2025 release), and the long-anticipated Dr. Dirt, a blend of Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Barbera, created in honor of co-founder Alan Busacca (Fall 24 release).

“I predict the Dr. Dirt will be a big hit in the new tasting room,” Josh says. “It’s relatively low alcohol for a red (13%). It’s vibrant, high acid, and has a light color.”

We are so excited to have a winemaker of Josh’s caliber and curiosity working with us.