If you have been hanging out in Napa Valley as long as Nils Venge, you might get a bit saddle sore — or at the very least, somewhat jaded. But then again, if you loved doing what you do as much as Nils, you’d probably be happy to just keep getting back on your proverbial horse, vintage after vintage and keep the grape rodeo going. As a fan of California wines, I have seen a lot of winemakers come and go — or at least fade away after one or two successful vintages. Rare, indeed, is the producer who can, year after year, make great wines on a consistent basis. I first met Nils, a six-foot-something broad-shouldered blonde of Danish descent who fancies himself a modern-day cowboy, about six years ago. I was amazed at how dependable his wines were and asked him what his secret was. He replied that he looks at vintages like riding a horse at a rodeo; “You never know what horse you’ll draw, but you have to get to know that horse pretty darn quick and learn how to stay on.” And stay on, he has.

Nils was destined to ride vintages. His father owned and operated a wine, beer and spirits distributorship in Los Angeles. After Nils finished high school, he decided to learn more about the wine-end of the business, so he enrolled at University of California-Davis where he earned his undergraduate degree in viticulture with a minor in enology. After a stint in the Vietnam War, he headed up to Napa to pursue his love of wine. In 1976, Nils and his father-in-law purchased the property now known as Saddleback Cellars in Oakville. But it was his time as General Manager and winemaker at Groth Vineyard (1982-93), where he was a minority partner, which really launched his career. Nils’ 1985 Groth Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve was the first California wine to receive a perfect score of 100 points from wine critic Robert Parker Jr. After that, Nils’ talents were in great demand.