Taylor Roesch and Eli Berggren of KC Wine Co // Photo by Sarah Sipple

From its founding as KC Pumpkin Patch in Gardner to its move to Olathe and expansion with KC Wine CoThe Berggren family has created a destination for all ages and seasons. The rural oasis is known for wine slushies, outdoor events and, of course, Kansas wine.

Siblings Taylor Roesch and Eli Berggren are second-generation winemakers, pumpkin farmers and experience curators. Taking over KC Wine Co. from their parents was a no-brainer, even after they explored career opportunities in pharmaceuticals and construction, respectively.

Tell us something about yourself.

Taylor Roesch: I am the oldest sister and we have a middle brother who is an officer in the Air Force. He is currently in Virginia. Eli is the youngest at 10 years old. I am married with two little girls and have been on the farm for 10 years – since it was founded.

Eli Berggren: I’m the youngest of all of us. I graduated from K State and worked in construction for a year in May of last year. So I’ve technically only been working full time for about a month. I’ve been at it for a while, coming back from college and helping out over the years. So I’m not new to this, but I’m also new to everything. I kind of run the operation. I work closely with my dad. And while she (Taylor) has all the ideas, we’re the ones actually putting the hammers and putting the nails together.

Tell us about growing up in a unique family business.

Rösch: So this is actually our second farm. We started in Gardner on I-35 – that was KC Pumpkin Patch, which was on leased land. And then when the big intermodal came along, we had to move. So we bought this current land and that’s our permanent home.

Berggren: When I was really little, I was too small to reach the gas pedal on a lawn mower, so my dad would put the cruise control on and I would go mow and do all that stuff. So I literally grew up on the farm. I had a unique experience, especially for Kansas City and Johnson County, of actually being able to go out and play in a field and do all that stuff.

What led to the transition from the pumpkin patch to the vineyard?

Berggren: When we originally moved here, because we had a pumpkin patch, we wanted to cut down the grapes to grow more pumpkins. And then Taylor said let’s try it.

Rösch: Yes, originally we thought the pumpkin patch would still be the main animal. When we opened the winery, there was was Wineries nearby, but I didn’t realize it was so popular to visit or taste Kansas wines. So we didn’t anticipate how popular the winery would be. We also serve all of our wine products at the Pumpkin Patch, so people with kids can enjoy that too. And we’ve evolved into a lot of adults-only events, like Oktoberfest and Ciderfest. That’s three whole weekends for people 21 and older.

Taylor Roesch pours a red wine tasting at KC Wine Co // Photo by Sarah Sipple

When did you know or decide you would stay with this family business? What brought you back after trying your own things?

Rösch: After K State, I worked at a pharmacy for a couple of years, just helping out on the weekends. Eventually, I went full time. It really became my love. I’m going to be in it forever. I think I’ve found my thing. I like being outside. I like solving problems and fixing things, and I love the event aspect of it, so I think I’ll always be in it.

Berggren: I have a degree in civil engineering from K-State. One of the most important aspects of that major is managing people and how things work. So that was kind of a goal in the back of my mind, to learn all of that so I could come back and apply it here. And I wanted to experience something different for a year to learn that. When my year was over, overall it was just the right time to get back in. I knew I’d always loved this place, so I knew I’d come back at some point.

What do you think are the most valuable aspects of your parents’ legacy that you want to preserve?

Rösch: I think we’re known more for our people, our staff and our environment. If you see my dad, he’s the first one to offer to clean the restrooms, take out the trash or do the nasty chores. He leads by example. And I would say my people are very well-respected by our staff and our guests and one of my goals is to keep that going. We’ve never had a turnover in staff in 10 years. We always have the same people and we keep hiring more and I think that says a lot. So that’s one of my main focuses – to always be friendly, provide a good experience and just have fun along the way.

What surprises people most about KC Wine Co?

Berggren: I think the beauty down by the pond surprises people when they first come here. We have four huge chairs down there that can seat five people, and then we have a swing down there and stuff. So just the general beauty out here and the tranquility.

Rösch: I definitely agree about the beauty. I think people are also surprised that we built all of this in 10 years. As far as building goes, we do almost everything ourselves. I think people are surprised that we do our own stunts.

Berggren: And I think the biggest shock when people come in is the chandeliers. When someone comes here for the first time, they come in and think, “Oh my goodness.”

What kind of team does it take to keep this place running, the wine flowing and the pumpkins growing?

Rösch: I think that’s another thing that would surprise people – we only have four full-time employees. Including the two of us. That’s full-time year-round, Monday through Friday. And as far as weekend staff or seasonal staff, we have up to 60 on our payroll, and we just filter people through. Some people only work once a month. Some people work every weekend. It really depends. So that’s a larger group, and we’ll see a lot of them in the fall, and that’s also our peak season.

What about winemaking?

Rösch: We hand bottle most of the time. If we are behind for some reason, we hand bottle our cider. He (Eli) barrels our cider, blends and ferments. We will start harvesting here soon and it will just be the few of us.

It sounds like you work really hard in the fall. Do you take any time off in the winter or spring?

Rösch: Fall is what it is. When the grape harvest starts, it’s at the same time as pumpkin season, and so sometimes it’s extremely late nights and early mornings because we’re trying to harvest around four or five in the morning before the heat sets in. You have to get the grapes out of the sun as quickly as possible. So we start really super early.

Berggren: Yes, normally it’s a bit quieter from January to March. We really try to take a holiday then. That means we have a bit more peace and quiet and there might not be as much work out here, but it’s more of a restructuring for the coming year.

Swirled wine slushie at KC Wine Co // Photo by Sarah Sipple

Rösch: Maintenance, yes. And that’s the beauty of having employees who have been here for 10 years. When we’re on those quieter weekends and we want to call them, we can just leave them here. They can do that. They treat the place like it’s their own.

What is your favorite drink here?

Berggren: Pineapple cider. This is my year-round favorite. I find it so refreshing and it really surprises people when you say pineapple cider, but I think it’s the best thing we make. I’m also biased because I’m the one who makes it.

Rösch: I’m always torn between two – you can’t go wrong with a wine slush. Then we just brought out an Orange Moscato which is incredible. They’re both pretty great.

Your themed events and weekly activities appeal to people of all ages and interests. What inspires you to offer your experiences?

Rösch: We try everything once. If an event doesn’t go well, of course we don’t care. But last night we had, you know, a fried pickle Friday and there were so many people here. They love fried pickles. So we just have to try and see what works. We’re dog lovers. Of course, there are a lot of dogs running around here, so the dog events are always popular.

I find anything, even TV shows, I can find inspiration. I think our brains are both always moving.

Is there anything else you think our readers might find interesting about KC Wine Co or the family business?

Berggren: That we’re so deeply rooted in the farm. She (Roesch) actually got married on the front lawn — she hosted a reception out here. So she’s really deeply rooted in the farm and really loves it, and now it’s like a full-fledged family business. So we’ve always been involved with our parents, which is a great experience to be able to work hand-in-hand with the parents on something that I really love. I can’t speak for Taylor, but I’m sure she really loves working with them all the time. And, you know, I even get to see my nieces growing up here, and they’re kind of learning. I mean, they’re only two, but yeah, you see their oldest running around, and she knows where everything is. So it’s really special and touches our hearts that it can be a full-fledged family business.

KC Wine Co is located at 13875 S Gardner Rd #1, Olathe, KS 66061.