Backyard Vine and Wine stronger than ever
FORUM FILE PHOTO
Owner Carl Christensen gives a tour of the vineyard at Backyard Vine & Wine in 2018. Christensen started the family-owned vineyard in 2008 after retiring.
MARYVILLE, Mo. — A line of fields surrounds the end of a long gravel road. This gravel road leads to a building made with walls of wood panels and wooden tables placed all around the room. Bottles of wine are hung on the walls and sitting on the countertops and shelves. From the back deck, the sunset overlooks five acres of grapevines, with around 2,600 plants in total.
This scene is found just outside of Maryville.
Starting as a retirement project by Maryville’s own Carl Christensen in 2008, Backyard Vine and Wine is a family-owned business and has brought in many from town and tourists alike.
“I thought it would be a great contribution to the community,” Christensen said. “I also had an interest in being outdoors, doing construction and wanted to be more active after I retired.”
Backyard Vine and Wine serves many varieties of wine, as well as street, dry, slush, mulled and fruit wines. All of the grape wines are made from vine to bottle — all by the winery.
A couple of the bestselling wines are Bumblebee Delight — a sweet red Concord grape wine — and another one called Little White Lies — a sweet white wine made with la crescent grapes and infused with pineapple flavors. Depending on the time of the year and when certain events are being held, the average amount of bottles of wine that are sold vary. More bottles are sold during the summer months; however, fall and holidays are bigger sale times as well.
In addition, not only do people come to just drink wine, but Backyard Vine and Wine holds many events. These events include summer concerts, harvest parties, cornhole tournaments, craft nights and recently, a murder mystery night in October hosted in conjunction with Maryville Parks and Recreation. The winery has become a place for people of all ages to be brought together and have a good time.
“There’s one concert that we have that a performer comes up and he always does a particular song where everybody gets their phones out and waves their flashlights,” said Stephanie Christensen, manager of Backyard Vine and Wine and daughter of Carl. “I remember standing up there, and I was kind of tearing up one night, because I was looking around thinking: This is what it’s about.”
As the only winery near Maryville, the Christensens have accomplished many goals in their five years in the town, and due to COVID-19, have overcome obstacles and made many changes along the way. One of those ways was through forming connections with other wineries across the state.
“It helps because we formed a wine trail, so that helps us get on Missouri wine maps,” Christensen said. “It also helps because you can make events together and you can learn from each other.”
The winery has done a lot to satisfy customers’ needs since opening in 2016. However, the winery was left empty-handed when COVID-19 hit.
Backyard Vine and Wine shut down in March 2020, after the COVID-19 outbreak. They went to putting all tables six feet apart and started leaving doors open to adhere to COVID-19 guidelines, so they could keep the winery going and not have to shut down again. To this day, the winery is still using disposable plates and utensils to help stop the spread of COVID-19. However, the overall attendance of customers at the winery is back to full capacity, leaving the winery feeling normal again.
While COVID-19 may have had a big effect, Backyard Vine and Wine is always expanding, making changes and trying to accommodate the public so that everybody can enjoy it. For instance, in 2017, a year after opening in 2016, the winery decided to build the main seating area for more sitting room. Many people loved it, more than what the winery had expected, and the public wanted to enjoy the inside and outside for any weather conditions that may approach. The winery then began the production of a stage and bridge to allow more types of events to be hosted at there.
“They are even willing, during certain times of the year, to give you a tour of the winery,” said Shana McVinua, a Maryville resident. “You can even get right in and volunteer during harvest time and help them pick grapes. They are very helpful to let you know about their different types of wine.”
Throughout the existence of the winery, and all of the changes and hardships, the people who come to the winery have been the most memorable part about it and are what keeps it going, the Christensens said. Residents of Maryville and former Northwest Missouri State University students love that the small town added the winery so that people have more options on the weekends and can also see Maryville change and grow.
JoDee Lantz, a Northwest graduate, came back to visit Maryville to take a trip to the winery.
“The winery is a great addition to the community,” Lantz said.
Backyard Vine and Wine is open to the public from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Fridays and from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. Saturdays, and they are always taking calls for private events or tours at 660-582-4474.
Reese Servi is a Mass Media student at Northwest Missouri State University.
