Niels Udsen is the winemaker at Castoro Cellars in Paso Robles, California. He and his wife Bimmer founded the winery in 1983. Niels’ father was a native of Denmark who immigrated to America in the late 1940s. A farmer turned successful businessman, he taught Niels about both the agricultural and business worlds. The two made many trips from their home in Ventura, California, to Denmark, where Niels and Bimmer first met at 9 and 7 years of age, respectively.
Niels’ interest in the wine industry sparked during a senior marketing project while studying Agricultural Business Management at Cal Poly for a local winery. Niels and Bimmer were married in 1981 and Niels began working in the wine cellar of Estrella River Winery. For the next five years, under the direction of Estrella’s then winemaker, Tom Myers, he learned all aspects of winemaking from the ground up. In 1983, Niels and Bimmer decided to launch their brand. The Castoro Cellars label was established with a laid-back, warm, and welcoming style. Showcasing their sense of humor, the winery was named for the Italian translation of Niels’ long-time nickname, “Beaver,” thus prompting the motto “Dam Fine Wine.” Niels and Bimmer have shaped Castoro Cellars into a business that mirrors their family-oriented values.
Media Inquiries: Kelsey Mcclure kmcclure@castorocellars.com | www.CastoroCellars.com
What’s the ONE THING most unique, authentic, & memorable about your brand?
I would say it’s our story of how Castoro came to be. My wife and I decided we wanted to be in the wine business any way possible after we graduated from Cal Poly and Cuesta colleges in San Luis Obispo. We loved the area for its untapped beauty and were determined to stay. I started as a cellar rat at a local winery in the budding Paso Robles region in 1981. We were 24 and 22 years old! This is before Paso Robles became a viticultural appellation. I began making wine on the side and Bimmer sold it and did our books. Having no capital or backers we plugged away and slowly built our wine business. Our love for the land, local community, and welcoming attitude make us unique. Today everything we farm is certified organic and follows biodynamic principles and methods. We have never lost sight of having fun within the industry by adding a music festival and world-class disc golf course amongst the vines. It has been a fantastic adventure for us as we have lived it for more than 40 years and seen the area grow into one of the most sought-after appellations in the world. Family, down-home, outdoor lovers, winemakers, organic farmers – that’s us.
Describe how and what you’d do with your winemaking career or winery business if you were not constrained.
I love toys! Toys to me are state-of-the-art winemaking equipment. There are so many new cool winemaking toys that I would love to have. Much of winemaking is old world but there is an element where innovation in the process can enhance quality. We are constantly upgrading but technology moves fast these days! Dream big you say? Build a brand-new winery into one of our hillsides that is super energy efficient (even off the grid), filled with the newest toys and have our tasting room above the production area with views below.
What is the One Wine most emblematic of your brand and/or winemaking style? Tell us its story.
This is tough as we love all our wines for specific reasons. That said, our Anni (Anniversary) series sums up what we are all about. When Castoro Cellars hit 10 years, we felt the milestone needed to be celebrated with a special red blend. In 1991 blends were generally thought of as the leftover wines that were put in a tank and bottled, in other words, low quality. We were determined to prove that wrong! The goal was and still is today, to produce a wine that represents Paso Robles and its heritage. With that in mind we decided it could be a blend using of any our finest lots, but the final blend had to have Zinfandel in it as a nod to the past. This wine displays the forward fruit of the region with balanced tannins. The first vintage was Dieci Anni (ten Years), today were enjoying Quaranta Anni (forty years). Click here to read the “Quaranta” wine review.
What are your wholehearted convictions related to the wine business? Not about your wines!
We are committed to making Paso Robles a leader in organic winegrape growing. We have been farming organically for over 30 years. All our vineyards are CCOF certified, and we have shown it can be done without any real increase in cost but with a real increase in quality. We are now the largest organic winegrape growers in California. It can be done!