Nabor was born in Jalisco, Mexico, in the small town of Arroyo Seco, into a family of farmers who grew mostly corn. A hard-working student, Nabor graduated high school in 1984, but had no money for university. So he chose to follow an older brother who had gone north to Napa Valley in the 1970s. Nabor began as a laborer, working for acclaimed grape grower Larry Hyde in Carneros. He soon became a skilled worker, then a foreman, spending 16 years at Hyde Vineyard before joining Anne Moller-Racke, vice president of vineyard operations at Buena Vista Winery, in 2000. When Moller-Racke started an “ultimate Pinot Noir” project at The Donum Estate/Robert Stemmler Winery, Nabor seemed a perfect fit, and she brought him aboard in 2001. She cites his work ethic, sensitivity to the vines and ability to balance them, and dedication to excellence as ideal qualities for a vineyard manager. At their small Pinot Noir operation, she points out, Nabor participates in every tasting, remaining connected with the wine into the bottle and the marketplace. In turn, Nabor credits both Hyde and Moller-Racke as veteran growers who farm for quality, not quantity, comparing them to marathon runners with a head start who maintain their speed to stay ahead of the pack.