Joe Carr is a cool dude. He spent ten years as a Sommelier for a major hotel and few top notch restaurants (fyi: saying that a Sommelier just picks the wine for a restaurant is like saying a chef just makes some food – it’s a little bit more involved than that). Then he did the wine executive thing before leaving the corporate world in 2005 to make his own wine. And we’re lucky he did – he’s making some damn fine vino at an awesome price!

His flagship wines fall under the Joseph Carr label and come in at less than $20 a bottle. He buys grapes from small, family run vineyards and turns them into great wine. His “side project” is Josh Cellars (Josh is his father’s nickname), which is a Cabernet made from a friend’s vineyard of organic and sustainably farmed grapes, north of Napa.

The 2007 Josh Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon kicks out bold, dark fruit flavors. While not a shy wine by any means, you gotta keep your eyes on it. It has an elusive way of vanishing from your glass rather quickly. We suggest you play it safe and buy an extra bottle.

Drink liberally with steak tacos, homemade or fast food hamburgers, or a slice of pizza at Wine Riot.

* Side note: Joe Carr’s daughter, and business partner, Cailen will be at Wine Riot pouring and talking all about this and their other wines.