A native Oregonian, Tresider Burns took a circuitous route to winemaking with stops at the University of Virginia and eleven years in the tech industry between New York and San Francisco along the way. After returning to Oregon in 2008, and after some serious culture shock reentering the bucolic world of the Willamette Valley, he turned his focus to winemaking during his studies in the Oregon State University Fermentation Sciences Program. His Master's thesis explored the effects of malolactic fermentation and cellar practices on Pinot noir color stability.

His first harvest job landed him at Lemelson Vineyards under the tutelage of winemaker Anthony King—a place he would spend the next four years learning organic winegrowing. In 2015, he took the role of Associate Winemaker under industry veteran Robert Brittan which led to a four-year apprenticeship learning the finer arts of winemaking across almost thirty vineyards and five wine labels. Burns joined White Rose Estate in 2019 to continue the tradition of whole cluster winemaking developed by the late Jesus Guillen. For three years he managed winemaking and tasting room operations at the little winery atop the Dundee Hills.

Tresider joined the Alexana Winery team in 2022 to continue the journey of coaxing compelling wines from an incredibly diverse site on the north side of the Dundee Hills.