At Morton Buildings, we know our commercial facilities are the best in the industry. An award-winning western New York winery recognized that reputation nearly a decade ago when it made its decision to build Morton.
Liberty Vineyards & Winery is a 3,780-square-foot winery completed by Morton Buildings in September 2007 in Sheridan, N.Y. The winery, owned by Gary and Pam Burmaster, received the “Winery Award” from the New York Wine & Grape Foundation last March.
According to a news release from newyorkwines.com, the “Winery Award” recognizes wineries which have advanced the widespread recognition and quality reputation of New York wines.
The facility, which includes retail sales and a processing facility where the Burmasters make their own wine, opened in 2008. It offers nearly 30 different wines.
According to the vineyard’s website, the Burmasters are a fifth-generation grape-farming family.
“With the building – not only is it very functional for us, because half the building we use for production, half we use for retail – I also think the appearance of the building from the outside probably helps bring the customer through the door in the first place,” Pam said.
“I think it’s helped our business a great deal.”
The retail portion of the interior features a hospitality area, tasting bar and office space. The Burmasters sell a variety of products, mostly wine and grape-related products as well as locally made merchandise.
In the processing area, a tank room with a series of stainless steel tanks and oak barrels is used for wine production. Ninety percent of the grapes used are produced on-site by the Burmasters’ vineyards. The remaining portion of the grapes used are grown locally.
The facility also includes Morton’s Energy Performer insulation system, providing maximum efficiency during warm summer and cold winters.
“The heating bills and the cooling bills have been really quite reasonable for the size of the building, so we’ve been very pleased, Pam added. “It’s very nice and toasty here in the winter. In upstate New York, it does get pretty cold outside. We get lots of snow. So it’s very, very comfortable in the winter.”
“In the summer, we don’t hesitate to turn on the air-conditioning and keep it real comfortable. We’ve been very happy with the size of our utility bill.”
Morton is proud to partner with a shining star in the industry. The Burmasters’ winery is one of hundreds of commercial buildings Morton completes each year. A Morton commercial facility features the same strength, durability and efficiency that Morton has boasted for generations.
“We’ve had visitors – people that own other wineries – and when they come in, they’re really impressed with the look of the facility and also the construction,” Pam said. “Our friends and family – they think it’s very nice.”
