Our Story

Our Story

An elevated approach to winemaking, inspired by a unique pursuit of passion.

Force & Grace is a portfolio of wines founded by vintner Joseph Carr who, after creating Josh Cellars, continued following his passion for making the finest wines to exacting standards. Why did he call it Force & Grace? Good question.
Photo of purple grapes in a vineyard
Gold fabric art in a wine cellar hallway.
Joseph Carr was a state-champion wrestler in high school and a student of modern dance in college. Force and Grace represents his love for those seemingly opposing pursuits and the analogy to making the finest wines, where the “force” of ripe fruit is balanced by the “grace” of bright acidity.
To create something truly remarkable, he partnered with critically acclaimed winemaker, Jean Hoefliger, who honed his skills at world-renowned wineries Château Lynch-Bages and Alpha Omega, among others. Jean’s winemaking philosophy is to make wines which showcase the best appellations within Napa Valley, where fruit is picked at precisely the right moment to spotlight the balance between lush ripeness and clean acidity.
Joseph Carr
Founder
Joseph Carr
Our brand’s raison d’ être, Joseph Carr’s decades-long reputation for crafting world-class wines came after his pursuit of countering disciplines – wrestling and dance. This portfolio of wines honors the natural forces that have shaped a lifetime of experience and captures the natural beauty of contrasting elements.

Experience the making of Force & Grace

From our master winemaker to the art and stories behind our labels, each element of Force & Grace has been curated to provide a portfolio of exceptional experiences to wine enthusiasts.
Winemaker
Jean Hoefliger
Winemaker
Jean Hoefliger
A winemaker with a quixotic mission, Jean Hoefliger believes that wine perfection doesn’t exist, but knows he’ll spend his entire life pursuing it. He’s a true wine artisan, with decades of experience and a stack of awards accompanied by a portfolio of highly rated wines to show for it. But his passions lie at the nexus of science and art, and how harnessing each properly can allow winemakers to push the envelope in new and fascinating directions that challenge the norm.
Artist
Neal Grundy
Artist
Neal Grundy
A Fine Art photographer whose works can be seen worldwide, Grundy’s collaboration with Force & Grace brought to life a collection of labels capturing original fabric sculptures that represent the beauty, elegance, and vitality of each wine.

Immerse yourself in
Force & Grace

Discover the art and creativity behind Force & Grace in an interactive, augmented reality experience.