So, what’s your story? Where were you born? How long have you been here in the Driftless, What keeps you here?
I was born in Red Wing, MN. My family has been in the Red Wing area for several generations going back to when they emigrated from Norway and Sweden. I spent my adult life living and working in the Twin Cities as a software engineer for several companies, mainly St. Paul Companies, now merged with Travelers Insurance. The vineyard was developed on the family farm near Red Wing by me and my brothers. The winery was started by my younger brother and myself. Mary grew up in Roseville, MN and her family also mostly live in the Twin Cities area. We never really considered moving to other locations due to family and the quality of life we have here. We like the change of seasons and other amenities offered by a large metropolitan area. We also were able to build a cabin on a small lake near Weyerhaeuser in a wildlife refuge which offers us a great escape from the city. 
Tell us about what you do for work or your business, and how long have you been doing this?
Our winery was very small and my wife, brother, and I were most of the work force. We did everything from managing the books to all of the vineyard work. Once the winery was open, Mary was in charge of the tasting room, my brother ran the vineyard, and I took on the wine making. We were all involved in every aspect based on where most of the effort was needed at the time.
Tell us about a project or accomplishment that you consider to be the most significant in your career with your business.
One of the biggest was going through the process of growing the grapes and taking them all the way through to the finished bottle of wine. All the steps needed from the wine making, label design, approval, printing, and bottling were quite a challenge. Also, winning a medal on a wine at a competition is a great feeling of accomplishment.
We’re constantly making things better, faster, smarter or less expensive. We leverage technology or improve processes. In other words, we strive to do more—with less. Tell us about a recent project or problem that you made better, faster, smarter, more efficient, or less expensive.
The last couple of years we improved our accounting by using Quick Books. The biggest leap forward was the use of Square to record and process all our sales. It provided excellent reports of all our products sold, sales taxes, and times of each sale. I can’t say enough about it. When Mary and I took over complete ownership of the farm and winery, we started to buy machinery that improved the time it took to complete tasks, such as mowing the lawn and vineyard with the same machine.
Tell us about one person that you’ve met, that stands apart from the rest or has influenced you, while here in the Driftless.
We had a lot of help from individuals in the Minnesota grape and wine industry that made it possible to start our winery. The work done by Elmer Swenson and Peter Hemstad who developed the cold hardy grapes which allows the industry to even exist in Minnesota and Wisconsin. The current staff at the University of Minnesota Horticulture Research Center who are a huge asset to our industry as well as all the people who are a part of the Minnesota Grape Grower’s Association. I have to mention Martin Polognioli who worked for us as our consulting winemaker. Martin works full time for Peter Hemstad and he allowed Martin to moonlight for us. We never would have been successful without his help.
What do you wish other people knew about you or your business?
I wish more people would have been interested in the fact that Minnesota Farm Wineries grow and make their product on their own land and go through a lot to do that. It’s sad that Minnesota wineries have to rely on being event centers, bars, restaurants, or provide other forms of entertainment to keep the winery going.
Tell Us More About David
So what are you doing now?
We sold the business in January and we are staying at our cabin to avoid the virus. For now, I am doing maintenance projects, some wood carving, and writing a manuscript about my whole grape and wine experience. I doubt it will be published, but it feels good to write it all down.
We plan to travel more. We had to postpone a trip to Italy but hope to go in October. I would like to do more wood carving and small gardening projects.
What are some of your favorite places to go for fun here in the Driftless?
We have been taking hikes on some of the Blue Hills trails including parts of the Ice Age Driftless Trail. We also try to drive on the rustic roads. I like to find small farms that have not changed over the years. We try to find small family run businesses to patronage. One good example is the Colonial Nursery in Ladysmith.
What are some of your favorite (non commercial) places to eat here in the Driftless?
There were a couple of small restaurants in Lake City we like when we still owned the winery. I don’t think they are still there.
What is the most courageous thing you have done in your life?
Deciding to buy my brother’s half of the farm and winery and making the decision to later sell the winery and the farm which was in the family for fifty years.
If you were to tell a friend to come and visit the Driftless Area, and they ask “Why” … what would you tell them?
It is an area with its own character with its rolling country side, beautiful unspoiled lakes, wonderful trails, slower pace, well kept roads, and friendly people.