Steve Bruere and Alan Busacca met in 2016 during a chance introduction while collaborating on a large agricultural asset outside of Walla Walla.
Alan was retained to evaluate the potential to convert a portion of the farm to wine grapes and Steve was engaged as the real estate broker to oversee the sale of the property. Immediately a strong friendship formed between Alan and Steve as they bonded through their love of land and fine wine.
Alan, a West Coast native, has a rich understanding of the Pacific Northwest through his career as a soil scientist, geologist, researcher and teacher at Washington State University, and now viticultural consultant. As an Iowa farm boy and life-long entrepreneur, Steve has been deeply entrenched in agriculture, real estate, and business. Alan’s understanding of viticulture and soils coupled with Steve’s real estate, marketing, and business expertise create a dynamic partnership.
As Steve began to build his real estate business in the Pacific Northwest, Alan was pleased to feed his imagination with the potential of the region and share its amazing wines, culture, and vineyards. After showing Steve his vineyard located in the Columbia Gorge AVA near The Dalles, Oregon and detailing his vision for its development, Alan asked Steve to join him as a partner in Windhorse Vineyard. Steve, with a knack for both farming and real estate immediately understood the opportunity and became Alan’s partner to see the vision of developing Windhorse into a world class vineyard.
Throughout the development of Windhorse and the addition of a second estate vineyard in the Oregon portion of the Walla Walla Valley AVA, Wheatfield Vines Vineyard, Alan and Steve quickly learned the lesson that many in the wine industry know too well. To make a small fortune in the wine business, you must first start with a large fortune. This principle became the flagship and foundation of Capital Call Vintners founded by Alan and Steve’s wife, Nikki. Just as the story has deepened and become richer over the years, so too has this friendship and their commitment to making great wines. To share the Capital Call Vintners’ story and bring a taste of the Pacific Northwest to Iowa, Steve and Nikki established the Mercantile, a unique wine and cocktail bar in Cumming, Iowa.
The Mercantile is part of the Middlebrook Agrihood, a development that honors the agricultural legacy of Iowa by integrating farming into the daily life of residents and visitors.
WALLA WALLA TASTING ROOM
11 N 2nd Avenue, Walla Walla, WA 99362
MIDDLEBROOK MERCANTILE
4125 Cumming Avenue, Cumming, IA 50061
WINDHORSE VINEYARD 5698 Mill Creek Road, The Dalles, OR 97058
