Welcome to In The Cellar With..., our modern take on the iconic Vanity Fair Proust Questionnaire, where we trade society lit for cellar floor reality. In this maiden edition, we pull back the curtain with winemaking duo Jaam Jabril and Bobby Joseph from Joseph-Jabrill Wines to get an unfiltered look at life behind the barrel. From late-night whale audio for fermenting tanks to the unglamorous truth of being "wine janitors," here are 20 rapid-fire questions revealing what truly fuels their craft, their palates, and their harvest routines.
First wine that ever blew your mind?
Jolie-Laide Trousseau Gris back in the day
Current playlist on loop in the cellar?
Whitney Houston radio, followed by Black Sabbath radio
The grape variety that gives you the most gray hairs?
Valdiguié. Large clusters, small canopy, never enough water, but the fruit always comes off amazing.
Favorite post-harvest meal or takeout craving?
Crispy pizza and/or burritos
Screw cap, natural cork, or glass stopper?
Agglomerate cork! We use Amorim, they’re great–minimal waste, great R value.
Coffee or espresso (and how many cups during harvest)?
Espresso, and we average 4 a day. Cut down significantly to our benefit.
One word to describe the 2026 vintage so far?
Small.
What is the most unexpected song or sound you’ve ever played for a tank of fermenting wine?
Whale sounds at the end of the night to make ‘em calm.
If you weren't making wine, what would your alternate-universe career be?
Mechanic-Jaam,
Film Production- Bobby
Your go-to "cheap thrill" wine or beverage that isn't craft wine?
Cheap lager and Fernet please
What’s a winemaking rule or trend you love to break?
Good question, we never got the rule book.
The weirdest instrument or tool currently sitting on your cellar bench?
Food Grade Lube
Favorite hidden-gem spot on the West Coast for a day off?
Siren Cellar in Jenner–Patrick Cappiello’s list is bonkers, and the pricing is more than fair.
What’s always in your fridge alongside the wine bottles?
Eros Pista and Yerba Mate.
The best non-wine alcohol pairing for a late-night bonfire?
Whiskey and a cheap lager
If your winemaking style had a signature outfit or aesthetic, what would it be?
Hipster Lumberjack
What's one thing people get completely wrong about the "glamour" of running a winery?
It’s mostly cleaning, we are more wine janitors than winemakers
If you could bottle up one specific scent in the world to smell forever, what would it be?
The first fill on a new barrel of Chardonnay.
What bottle are you saving for a monumental life occasion?
We believe wine is for drinking, so whatever’s there, but probably a high acid white.
Finish this sentence: "A day without wine is like..."
Any other, just slightly less fun!