[5] American vintner Joseph Carr, who grew up in Upstate New York, first began developing Josh Cellars in 2005 in collaboration with Sonoma-based winemaker Tom Larson.

[4][6] The company's name is a tribute to Joseph Carr's father Josh, who died in 1992 and was not a winemaker but rather a military veteran who also worked as a lumberjack and volunteer firefighter.

"[7] The company launched their first wine, a Cabernet Sauvignon, in 2007, which Carr sold out of the back of his truck with his wife Dee.

[1][5] In 2011, Josh Cellars was acquired by the beverage conglomerate Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits, who gained control of sales, marketing, and production, while Carr remained the owner and face of the company.

[9] In 2024, their production facility in Mendocino, Ray's Station Winery, was issued a cease and desist order by California's North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board, who cited local reports of "intense foul odors" coming from the facility.