New lead winemaker for Sonoma County wineries

Jigar Patel, owner of Jigar Wines and co-owner of Sedition Wines with Josh Bartels, has appointed Josh Bartels, as winemaker of the two Sonoma County wineries.

"We are thrilled to have Josh lead our winemaking team,” says Jigar Patel. “Our shared passion for wine started while we were still both attending Purdue University. Working alongside Josh, I believe that his work ethic and integrity are paramount to who he is and it shows in the wines he makes. The transition for us is seamless as Josh has been an integral part of my entire winemaking career.”

Josh received a Bachelor of Science degree from Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. He spent the last 10 plus years at Kokomo Winery, where he made over 30 wines that scored 90 points or higher. When not making wine, Bartels is a husband and father to his young family and enjoys an active lifestyle filled with snowboarding, hiking, and camping at many of the best recreational sites in California. Josh loves music, sports and is also a passionate home cook. He draws inspiration from pairing wine and food during quality time with friends and family.

“I couldn’t be more excited for the opportunity to create the wines at Jigar and Sedition,” says Bartels. “I’ve worked hard to get here and I’m grateful beyond words for the chance to work with the Jigar team and a group of exceptional growers to make wines from some of the best sites in Sonoma County.”

25 April 2016 - Rebecca Sterritt Paragraph Publishing, content manager