Kathy Joseph

Last updated
Kathy Joseph
Born
Chicago, Illinois, United States
Nationality American
Alma mater University of California Davis
Occupation(s) Winemaker, entrepreneur, wine consultant
Known for Fiddlehead Cellars

Kathy Joseph is a Californian winemaker and entrepreneur, founder of Fiddlehead Cellars in Santa Maria, California. [1] She is one of the first female winemakers to open her own winery in Santa Barbara County and her Fiddlehead Cellars is featured in the movie Sideways . [2] [3] [4]

Education and career

Originally from the Chicago area, Joseph received a Bachelor of Science degree in bacteriology from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. [5] She then moved to California in the late 1970s to begin a career in the wine industry. [6] After working in several wineries, she attended graduate school in Enology at the University of California, Davis. [6] After graduation in 1984, she spent five years at Robert Pecota Winery as Head Winemaker. [6]

In 1989, Joseph opened her own winery, Fiddlehead Cellars in Lompoc, California. [7] [2] This was an unusual place to open a winery at the time, and Joseph was a pioneer as both a female winemaker and on account of her location choice. [3] She focused on the then lesser-appreciated varieties of wine - Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc. [6] Fiddlehead [8] celebrated its 25rd vintage in 2013 and is distributed among restaurants and through a wine club. [9] Her wine has won various awards, to include San Francisco Chronicle's Top 100 Wines in 1999, 2000, and 2001. [10] [11] [12]

Joseph has taught classes at Napa Valley College and UC Davis, [13] and her Fiddlestix wine was featured in a scene in the movie Sideways. [14] [4]

Related Research Articles

<i>Sideways</i> 2004 American comedy-drama film by Alexander Payne

Sideways is a 2004 American comedy-drama road film directed by Alexander Payne and written by Jim Taylor and Payne. A film adaptation of Rex Pickett's 2004 novel of the same name, Sideways follows two men in their forties, Miles Raymond, a depressed teacher and unsuccessful writer, and Jack Cole, a past-his-prime actor, who take a week-long road trip to Santa Barbara County wine country to celebrate Jack's upcoming wedding. Sandra Oh and Virginia Madsen also star as women they encounter during their trip. The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 13, 2004, and was released in the United States on October 22, 2004. Sideways received widespread acclaim from critics and is regarded as one of the greatest films of the 2000s. It was nominated for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress (Madsen), winning Best Adapted Screenplay at the 77th Academy Awards.

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References

  1. Parente, Michele. "Women chefs at 'Festa' in a league of their own". sandiegouniontribune.com. Retrieved 2017-10-23.
  2. 1 2 Heimoff, Steve (2008). New Classic Winemakers of California: Conversations with Steve Heimoff. University of California Press. ISBN   9780520247222.
  3. 1 2 Griest, Stephanie Elizondo (2009-05-01). 100 Places Every Woman Should Go. Travelers' Tales. ISBN   9781932361773.
  4. 1 2 "Fiddlehead Cellars - in the movies". www.fiddleheadcellars.com. Retrieved 2017-10-23.
  5. "Kathy Joseph - SIP Certified". SIP Certified. Archived from the original on 2017-10-23. Retrieved 2017-10-23.
  6. 1 2 3 4 "Women Winemakers of California |Kathy Joseph". webpages.scu.edu. Retrieved 2017-10-23.
  7. "The Number of Women Winemakers Is Growing, and Fast | Wine Enthusiast Magazine". Wine Enthusiast Magazine. 2016-03-17. Retrieved 2017-10-23.
  8. "Harvesting Grapes and Glee at Fiddlehead Cellars". www.independent.com. 18 September 2013. Retrieved 2017-10-23.
  9. "Sip and Savor: The 2017 World of Pinot Noir draws Central Coast Vintners - Paso Robles Daily News". pasoroblesdailynews.com. 15 March 2017. Retrieved 2017-10-23.
  10. "TOP 100 WINES: WHITE". SFGate. Retrieved 2017-10-23.
  11. "THE CHRONICLE'S TOP 100 WINES FOR 2000". SFGate. Retrieved 2017-10-23.
  12. "THE SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE'S 2001 TOP 100 WINES". SFGate. Retrieved 2017-10-23.
  13. "Meet some of the Santa Barbara County women winemakers". Napa Valley Register. Retrieved 2017-10-23.
  14. "Women winemakers of Santa Barbara County celebrate International Women's Day | Eats | Santa Maria Sun, CA". www.santamariasun.com. Retrieved 2017-10-23.