Josh Hull is a Lancaster County native, a 2008 graduate of Millersville University and a Certified Specialist of Wine.

He’s also now the much younger face (and signature) of the Pa. Liquor Control Board’s Chairman’s program, which encompasses the Selection, Advantage and Spirits lines. Hull is the hand-picked successor to Steve Pollack, who retired in February feeling satisfied that he was leaving the program in great hands.

“He has a lot of passion, a lot of knowledge,” Pollack said recently. “He’s the future. I’ve been saying that for the last couple of years.”

Hull said that while he didn’t grow up around wine, the idea of working at a Fine Wine & Good Spirits Store made financial sense as he advanced toward his degree in Business Management. But once he started, the incentive became more than wages. “I just started delving into it,” he said, “getting great deals on wines I otherwise couldn’t afford. I just got hooked, and it snowballed from there.”

That interest took him up the PLCB ladder, from several roles as a retail wine specialist to a luxury buyer for West Coast and later Italian wines. All the while, he and Pollock found mutual admiration as what Hull called “kindred spirits,” with a love for wine albeit not necessarily matching palates. “Josh loves a little more balance, he’s got a European palate,” Pollack said. “I’m more of that muscular [palate]. I used to call me the caveman and [him] the cavalier. He’s more finesse and elegance. We hit it off real good together because we hit both sides of the spectrum.”

The program started in 2004 by former PLCB chairman Jonathan Newman has morphed from what Pollock said basically dealt with three or four distributors to working more directly with wineries. “Stores took ownership of the program. I was pushing 80, 85 million [dollars] between the three programs, the Advantage, the Chairman and the Spirits program we took on recently. I wanted to leave it in good hands.”

It's not surprising that Hull, for now, just wants to maintain the momentum by what he says is “finding great deals” and continuing to bring into the program a mix of wines from big-name producers and well-known regions in addition to sprinkling in “those cool, lesser-known wines.”

“We’ve cleaned it up to where all of the wines are selling; it’s probably hard to see from your vantage point,” he said. “We’ve cranked the turns up to where we’re turning the products two to three times faster than what’s happened in the program in the past years. It’s really cool. It’s exciting to see like we have a top 100 Wine Spectator Malbec out there at 10 bucks, yet I also have a cool little Corsican white that’s selling because the wine is great and the price is tremendous and it’s got some press. So we have everything from more Main Street wines, where the quality is great and the price is amazing, to lesser-known things. So I just want to continue to round out the selection to where it’s all of those kinds of things.”

More of those wines likely will come from Washington, a state the program reached out to last year with much success, along with Oregon. Hull said he’d also like to do more with Portugal, where he said the value already is high, and with Southern Hemisphere countries such as Chile and Argentina, where “there’s a lot of great wine and we need to get it out and in front of people, and the Chairman’s Selection is a great way to do that.”

About the only way to see the changing of the guard are the tasting notes on the placards behind the wines at the Fine Wine & Good Spirits Stores. you'll see more of these with the tasting notes written by Josh Hull, the program's new director.

Still, he noted, “our biggest categories are California Cabernet, California Chardonnay, New Zealand and California Sauvignon Blanc, Italian Pinot Grigio. We’re going to have to have those wines and are constantly looking for great deals in those categories. But I’m just really excited to slot in things from [other areas]. Spain has been killing it for us. My top-selling wines right now are from Spain, believe it or not. It’s crazy. That’s what’s cool about the program is you have wines like Infinito and Fuerza out there that are outselling all of my California wines because the wines are great and they’re super appealing and super well-made and coming in at price points that you just don’t see that level of quality come in from the West Coast.”

While Chairman’s Selection is nearing 20 years old, its younger sibling called Advantage began in 2015 with four wines at a time in 100 stores, and increased the following year to eight wines at a time on the floor in 300 stores. All cost less than $10 a bottle, which Hull said makes them even harder to find. “The wines need to be well-made and the price has to be super sharp,” he said. “5 [dollars] to $7.99. I’ll throw an $8.99 out there once in a while if it’s a Prosecco or something like that. It’s got to be a wine that really overdelivers.”

Wander into a couple Fine Wines & Good Spirits Stores and you can see the beginning of the transition on the placards that include the wine’s price and tasting notes. Many still have Pollock’s name, but you don’t have to look far to find some with Hull’s descriptions. Beyond that, the consumer probably won’t notice that a new individual has taken over the program.

“I bring a lot of that same passion that Steve had. I may not be as brash as Steve, but we were good friends, and still are,” he said. “So it’s going to be super-seamless for the consumer.”

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We asked Hull for five wines selling in the Fine Wines & Good Spirits Stores now that he’s particularly excited about. Here’s the list he sent over.

79037 Brittan Vineyards Pinot Noir Basalt Block McMinnville 2014 - $29.99

Quoted at $48.00*......Save $18.01

489 cases – Allocated to select stores (Mostly Premium Collection)

“… opens with a powerful note of granite giving way to aromas of freshly sliced blueberries and crushed black cherries with accents of dried leaves, fresh pipe tobacco and hints of dried flowers and peppercorn—this is still very youthfully coiled. Medium-bodied, it gives concentrated blue and black fruits in the mouth with pretty notions of flowers, spice and a strong mineral line. It’s held together with fine, grainy tannins and wonderful refreshing acidity to carry the long flavorful finish. Drink 2019-2026.”

*92+ Points Wine Advocate, Nov 2018

“Fresh and pretty wine with blueberry and mineral aromas that follow through to a full body, salty undertones and a long and flavorful finish. Deliciously salty aftertaste.”

– 94 Points James Suckling, Nov 2016

79035 Valdez Family Winery Zinfandel Sonoma County 2013 - $14.99

Quoted at $30.00*......Save $15.01

950 cases – Replenishment Super Premium (mostly Premium stores)

“The 2013 Valdez Zinfandel is a fresh wine with notes of licorice, black berries and hints of cracked black pepper, with a long, lingering finish. Fruit for this wine is sourced from three different Sonoma County AVA’s: Dry Creek, Russian River Valley and Alexander Valley.”

*Winemaker notes

“The California wine industry lost one of its very best in 2018 with the passing of Ulises Valdez. Zesty, loamy raspberry and blackberry fruits mingle with cracked pepper on a supple and exquisitely textured palate, finishing long and expansive with ripe tannin. A truly incredible deal that is not to be missed.”

– Josh Hull, wine buyer for the Chairman’s Selection® program

79016 El Esteco Don David Reserve Malbec Calchaqui Valley 2017 - $9.99

Quoted at $16.00*......Save $6.01

5,000 cases – Replenishment Value (Pretty much all Chairman’s Selection stores)

“Dried red fruit flavors are lively, offering a surplus of rich, dried savory herb notes. Accents of hot stone and white pepper flood the finish. Drink now through 2023.”

*90 points and #65 ‘Top 100 Wines of 2018’ Wine Spectator, Nov 2018

“Violets, blueberries, mahogany and cloves. Medium body, fine tannins, lovely fresh acidity and a round finish.”

– 90 Points James Suckling, Apr 2018

16902 Tenshen White Central Coast 2016 - $12.99

Quoted at $20.00*......Save $7.01

1,500 cases – in stock in about ¾ of Chairman’s Selection stores

“The 2016 White Wine from Tenshen is made from a blend of Viognier, Roussanne, Grenache Blanc and Chardonnay sourced from sites throughout the Central Coast. Brought up mostly in neutral barrels, with a small part in stainless, it offers rich, full-bodied aromas and flavors of buttered peach, tangerine, honeysuckle and flowers. Richly textured, balanced and with a clean, dry finish, it’s a terrific white Rhone blend readers should check out.”

*92 Points Jeb Dunnuck, Aug 2017

79003 Hecht & Bannier Rosé Côtes de Provence 2017 - $11.99

2,300 cases – in stock in most Chairman’s Selection stores

Quoted at $19.00*...Save $7.01

"Leading negociant Hecht & Bannier has produced a ripe, smooth style of rosé. Immediately drinkable, it has a generous texture, warm red-berry fruits and balanced acidity, everything in its place."

*90 points and 'Editor's Choice' Wine Enthusiast, Jul 2018

"The 2017 Côtes de Provence Rosé is a plump medium-bodied effort, marked by crisp, citrusy fruit. Passion fruit and grapefruit nuances give it a zippy, refreshing finish."

– 90 points Wine Advocate, Apr 2018

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