Kirk Venge

Winemaker, JAX Vineyards

Kirk has been exposed to the world of winemaking from day one under the watchful eye of his father, Nils Venge. He earned his degree in Viticulture and Enology at the University of California, Davis, graduating in 1998. He set out working in summer internships as the experimental winemaker for Mumm, Napa Valley, where he focused on producing still Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. And his passion for the industry continued to grow through a tenure at Raptura Vintners in New Zealand.

Working with JAX Vineyards since 2003, Kirk has a keen involvement in the redevelopment, clone selection and farming practices of our vineyard site. Most importantly, he crafts our fruit into the elegant and well balanced wines that we enjoy year over year. Currently Kirk owns Venge Vineyards and produces wine for a number of boutique wineries in Napa Valley.

Country born: United States

Education: Viticulture and Enology at the University of California, Davis

Years in the wine industry: 15-20 years

Honors / Awards:
Kirk continually receives high scores from both Robert Parker and the Wine Spectator.

Winemaking Philosophy:
My focus has always been the vineyard first. In the cellar, our experience spans four decades of evolution in winemaking. Both traditional and progressive wine production techniques are embraced while remaining focused on our core belief: only fruit grown from select vineyard sources that is handled gently and naturally produces wine worthy of bottling.