Life & Work with Nicole White

Today, we’d like to introduce you to Nicole White.

Hi Nicole, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Our story doesn’t include a wine-making history or a family of vintners that go back generations. After over a decade of military service and life in elite special operations commands, we wanted to build a business that could operate together and allow us to live in one of our favorite areas of the country, northern Michigan, home to my husband, Bo.

We had no business opening a winery and tasting room— Bo doesn’t even drink wine. What we had, however, was a penchant for thinking outside the box and a vision to create a space in our beloved Leelanau Co. that fostered community and brought people together.

Yes, exceptional wine made from estate-grown grapes would drive the menu, but—just as importantly, we wanted to also welcome the nonwine drinker, the remote worker needing a spot outside his basement, the wanderer in search of a comfortable chair. We are passionate about people… and facilitating the beauty of the community around a table with a cup in hand— be it wine or espresso.

Dune Bird is about doing things differently, inviting you to experience the journey with us. Whether a glass of our remarkable bubbly or a steaming cup of perfectly pulled espresso, with your kids or your colleagues or your bridal party, whether out on the sunshine-filled patio or curled up by either of our fireplaces, we can’t wait to welcome you into the Dune Bird story.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Oh gosh, so many. When we first bought what would become Dune Bird Winery, it was a defunct, abandoned ranch that most recently housed yaks and alpacas. 15 years earlier, it had been developed as a winery with an estate vineyard and tasting room. When we purchased it in 2021, it had the remnants of both old businesses and was tired and very dilapidated.

However, we knew potential and had taken on some big renovation projects. This one would be way bigger and require an “all-in approach.” But the vision made our eyes light up. We wanted to create a business that would allow us to live in Leelanau Co and also one that would foster community. This property, even underneath snow and debris, had incredible potential and was a beautiful piece of the county. It was a property that needed to be shared.

We couldn’t afford it without selling our house. So we bought a 5th wheel, convincing our two small kids that living in a house on wheels was super cool. We put it on the winery grounds and got to work. It was the first year in our 15-year marriage that my husband did not deploy overseas to a warzone. We worked together to renovate both the interior of the tasting room and the grounds. It was so hard and so beautiful all the same time.

I had never managed a business like this, had never needed QuickBooks, or had never done payroll. Suddenly, permitting, excise tax, staffing, and inventory were in my new daily jargon and task lists. It was education by firehose and many asking for help and trial and error.

We hired an incredible staff that pitched in with their labor hours expertise and perspectives from their diverse backgrounds. We took the fact that we didn’t know much about the industry as a creative opportunity and looked at things consistently differently and openly.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I have a background in PR, Marketing, and journalism. I’d been a freelancer for several years, both for regional and national publications and stints in PR and events.

My husband, Bo, was a paramedic before joining the USAF and, afterward, the Army and ultimately working as a defense contractor. Our previous roles did give us experience in project management, team building, vision, and execution, which all came in handy.

We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you.
We have been so fortunate to have had the opportunity for education and cultural and family placement. So many people worldwide do not have the opportunities in front of them as we in the States do. It is not an equal playing field out there. That said, we have been raised and believe wholeheartedly in a strong work ethic and in taking calculated risks. There is no reward for playing things too safe.

Whether pursuing high-level special operations jobs within the US Military or launching small businesses on the side as part of the “gig economy,” there has always been a belief in the active role we each take with our success or failure. To a certain extent, one does “make things happen.”

Contact Info:

• Website: www.dunebirdwinery.com
• Instagram: @dunebirdwinery
• Facebook: @dunebirdwinery

Image Credits
Shannon Scott Photography & Reese and Renne Photography