Better with time

Burgdorf’s Winery builds on 10 years of experience

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Burgdorf’s Winery, located on the eastern fringes of Haslett, can be easy to miss for a first-time visitor. A small roadside sign directs visitors to the unassuming split-level home that doubles as headquarters for the budding winery and as residence for co-owners Deb and Dave Burgdorf.

The Burgdorfs´ adventures in winemaking began some 35 years ago, shortly after the couple was married. Dave Burgdorf had acquired a huge batch of black raspberries, and Deb Bergdorf was at a loss trying to use them up.

“I made pies, cobblers, jams, you name it,” she recalled. “We still had so many berries left.”

Finally, the couple had an idea to make wine from the berries. The first batch, however, didn’t turn out so well.

“You could have stripped furniture with it,” she joked.

Despite this inauspicious beginning, the couple continued to make wine as a hobby for years. About 10 years ago, however, they decided to take the next step. Their son was preparing to move out, and they were both nearing retirement.

“We needed something new,” said Deb Burgdorf.

And thus, Burgdorf’s Winery was formed. The couple started small, crushing grapes on their back porch and processing and fermenting the juice in their attached garage using three 80-gallon tanks. Each bottle was hand-filled and corked.

Fast-forward to the present. Burgdorf’s Winery is preparing to celebrate its 10th anniversary in August. The two-car garage has been converted to a tasting room and gift shop, complete with floor-to-ceiling display shelves carved by Dave Burgdorf. The winery employs six part-time workers and hires additional help in the fall season. Production has moved to a 2,600-squarefoot pole barn that sits behind the house. This barn features nine 500-gallon tanks, a pair of 1,000-gallon tanks, and several smaller tanks of various sizes.

Dave Burgdorf estimates that the winery produced 400 cases (4,800 bottles) of wine in its first year of production. In recent years, it has produced 3,500 to 4,000 cases per year.

The pole barn also includes a laboratory, where Deb Burgdorf can test her wine for alcohol and sugar levels, heat and cold stability, acidity and nitrogen levels. This part of the job comes naturally to Burgdorf, who holds a degree in microbiology from Western Illinois University and worked for years as a fermentation biologist at a local biotech firm.

While Burgdorf’s Winery is a partnership, there is a clear division of labor between the couple.

“(Deb) is the winemaker,” said Dave Burgdorf.

While his wife oversees production and perfects her recipes, Dave Burgdorf handles much of the sales, distribution, promotion and other behind-the-scenes duties. He also lends his handyman’s touch to the operation. In addition to the aforementioned hand-carved shelves, the tasting room also features custom-built light fixtures made from antique horse neck yokes. The production facility features several pieces of equipment modified by Burgdorf, including storage tanks adapted to better prevent air leaks.

Burgdorf, who holds a degree in agronomy from Western Illinois University, also oversees the grapevines behind the house. Burgdorf’s Winery grows a limited number of grape, but the grapes and other fruit used for production are purchased from Michigan fruit farms. The vines at the winery are mainly used for educational programs.

The Burgdorfs have enjoyed success at both regional and international competitions. Most recently, the winery had a strong showing at the Finger Lakes International Wine Competition that netted them one gold, four silver and seven bronze awards. The gold award was given to its Spartan White, a white wine blend made with grapes from MSU’s horticultural program.

Burgdorf ’s Winery was also the first Michigan winemaker to produce a medalwinning wine using Marquette grapes, a hybrid red wine grape varietal bred by the University of Minnesota to withstand harsher northern climates.

As the winery’s reputation has grown, the Burgdorfs have been amazed at the number of visitors that visit their tasting room. The couple has entertained visitors from as far away as Europe and Asia who have stopped in to sample the local libations.

“People from all over the world have been in my garage drinking wine,” said Dave Burgdorf.

In at least one way, the Burgdorfs winemaking has come full circle. A few years ago, Burgdorf’s Winery released a black raspberry wine — sweet redemption from their disastrous first batch. The name of that wine? Perfection.

Burgdorf´s Winery

Noon-5 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday 5635 Shoeman Road, Haslett burgdorfwinery.com, (517) 655-2883.

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