Our Team

Ethan Joseph’s first experience in the wine world was being swept off his feet by a jug of Carlo Rossi. Carlo and Ethan were good friends for a while, trading swills and making merriment, but slowly distance grew between them. Soon enough, Ethan found himself at Shelburne Vineyard and has been growing grapes and making wine in Vermont since 2008. He is responsible for all aspects of production, from vineyard to glass, and appreciates this integral role in the full cycle of winegrowing. As such, he is committed to highlighting the potential of northern varieties through informed viticulture and premium winemaking.

 In 2016, eight years into his career with Shelburne Vineyard, Ethan and the team developed Iapetus, which represents wines with a strong sense of place and applies minimalism in the winery. Iapetus has been Ethan’s creative pursuit of wine with a story, one with a beginning hundreds of millions of years ago, and whose ending is still far out of sight. It's a story of transformation and being open to changes, transitions, and shifts both in our physical efforts with grapes and wine, but also in our philosophical and intellectual endeavors with the two as well. Iapetus serves as an evolution in the continued learning, developing, and appreciating of winegrowing in Vermont. All that aside, Ethan firmly believes wine is simply something to be enjoyed, whether it be from a plastic cup pool side or shared over a meal, however it will bring the most joy to the drinker.

 Ethan also shares his experience and expertise as a speaker at national conferences and serves as Treasurer for the Vermont Grape and Wine Council.