Winemaker: August "Joe" Briggs

"Owner, winemaker, and garbage man," is how Joe likes to describe himself to visitors to August Briggs Winery, only half-jokingly. And Joe does do it all at his brand new winery, though he prefers to focus on making wine. Joe received his degree in enology from Fresno State University in 1984. He then went on to acquire a diverse range of winemaking skills in the 80s and 90s at wineries in Oregon’s Willamette Valley and the Central Valley of California. While working at La Crema Winery in the early 90s, Joe continued to explore an interest in Pinot Noir that was sparked during his time in Oregon.

Joe became a self described "gun for hire," a free-lance winemaking consultant. Success and a growing reputation during this period allowed Joe to make the leap from consultant to proprietor; in 1995 Briggs & Sons Winemaking Company released three wines under the August Briggs label – two Pinot Noirs and a Zinfandel. These were the first bottlings under what would soon become one of California’s most respected, artisanal labels.

Annual Production: 4,500 cases