The vineyard was established in 2008 by Jack and Deb Murdoch on the original plot of land owned by Jack’s grandfather, Harry Cogdal. Harry re-located (literally moved a portion of his family’s house), after an initial attempt to farm on Lake Michigan on the west side of Blue Star. Since then the property has been in continuous agricultural operation and has undergone an evolution through time. The property has hosted fruit trees, vegetable crops, Christmas trees, asparagus, a nursery, and now a vineyard. Cogdal Vineyards is situated less than 1/2 mile from Lake Michigan. The closeness to the lake helps regulate temperatures that promote healthy vines and superior grapes.
We currently have 7 acres of multiple varieties of vines in the ground of which 4 are producing grapes for wine production. We plan on growing to 18 acres of grapes. This will allow us to offer the majority of our wines as estate grown and bottled.
