Born and raised in Wisconsin, Joe spent several years working as a biomedical engineer in Los Angeles; however, his travels to wine country on the west coast and abroad motivated him to rethink his path in life. After working a harvest in Paso Robles, Joe immediately fell in love with winemaking and made the decision to switch careers. He went back to school to earn a viticulture and enology master’s degree at UC Davis and since graduation, has worked harvests on the Sonoma Coast as well as abroad in Germany and New Zealand. Upon returning stateside, Joe has put down roots in the Willamette Valley and joined our winemaking team for the 2018 harvest. Joe is excited to continue with Lingua Franca in his new role as Cellar Master.
