An event venue for every occasion
Story by Paul South
Photos by Mackenzie Free
Submitted Photos
At James and Margie Sanford’s winery, nature’s bounty is on full display. While seven varieties of native bronze and black Alabama muscadines ripen on the vine as they ready in the rich soil for future harvests, eagles soar overhead.
Red foxes prowl the 21-acre property, where the breathtaking scenery, like a perpetual postcard, changes daily.
So, the name of their vineyard fits – Bella Vista Winery – Italian for “beautiful view.”
During the holiday season, indeed all year long, Bella Vista is open to serve an array of wines and to host celebrations of every kind, from small weddings and events to everyday visitors who want to raise a glass at one of St. Clair County’s most breathtaking spots.
As a way to realize return on investment until they were ready and approved by the state for the winery, the idea for an event space took root. A pavilion was built in early 2024.
“We knew (the winery) was a little bit down the road (timewise), so we invested our time and money into building this nice, covered pavilion,” she said.
So far, Bella Vista has hosted several weddings, with more on the calendar in the future. To be clear, the business markets itself as a winery that can also host small events – micro-weddings, baby showers, birthdays and the like.
“If it can be done with 50 people max, (the winery) is a good fit for that,” Margie said. “In the pavilion, we can handle 80 people or more. But if it’s rainy on the day of your event, we have to have a backup space to bring it inside and be comfortable.”
She added, “We’re not going to advertise ourselves as a venue going forward. We’re going to advertise as a winery with space for small events.”
For Margie, who spent more than 20 years as an event planner in the Birmingham area, and James, who worked in sales, the winery is a dream come true.
“Margie and I enjoy traveling, and we enjoy going to wineries,” James said. “(Opening a winery) is something we’ve talked about for a long time. It’s something we decided to dive into with both feet.”
In their winery wanderings, they learned lessons they now apply at Bella Vista. The laid-back vineyard vibe is different from the volume-driven restaurant business.
“One of the things that we found when we were going to all these wineries was a synergy in the kind of people that come to these places,” Margie said. “And it’s people who are looking for a place to meet their friends and get away and enjoy an afternoon and not feel like they are having a meal and being rushed away so the table can be flipped for somebody else.”
Here, “we want people to come hang out with their friends,” she added. “We encourage people to bring a board game or something that they enjoy doing.”
The Sanfords are candid: This is not a kid-friendly place. “It’s a place for adults to come chill out, have a glass of wine and get things off their minds for a little while,” James said.
The Sanfords have obtained a license to sell wines obtained through distributors. Bella Vista sells wine from Georgia’s Chateau Elan Winery & Resort and from Childress Vineyards, a Lexington, N.C., winery owned by famed NASCAR team owner Richard Childress. But Bella Vista’s inventory also has a global perspective, carrying wines from all over the world.
Bella Vista Winery has an eye on the future. “We named it a winery for marketing purposes, with the hopes to have a local producer/distributor that could sell us wine made with our own fruit under a private Bella Vista Winery label.”
Along with the Muscadines, the winery property is home to peach, pear and apple trees that are still maturing, awaiting harvest time a year or two down the road.
The Sanfords are also considering planting other varieties of grapes.
While wine, fruit and fauna are the stars of the picturesque property, vineyards are a human endeavor. What have the Sanfords learned about themselves? It seems they are perfectly paired, like a nice cabernet with gruyere cheese. Thirty-three years of marriage and 40 years together can build that kind of pairing. You could call it a classic vintage. They met in high school.
“I’ve learned that my wife is the backbone of this whole thing. As far as dealing with the bureaucracy and the paperwork and that kind of thing, she is the backbone,” James said. “She studies and makes sure all the I’s are dotted and T’s are crossed.”
Margie agrees. But also trumpets her husband’s building skills. The pavilion is his handiwork.
“I’m the business end. But James has been in construction. He has the ability to take something that’s not working and figure out a workaround,” Margie said. “We’re very much doers ourselves, and I’ve always thought he can do anything. If I can dream it, he can do it.”
She added, “We’ve learned that where one doesn’t necessarily have a strength, the other can kind of lift up. We balance each other.”
The vineyard regularly hosts “Sip, Paint, & Repeat” nights that have been a big hit. The nights can involve painting on wine glasses or other media with the help of local artists.
The vineyard, in cooperation with the St. Clair County Health Department, serves flatbread pizzas and charcuterie. The winery is also open for small groups and businesses to host holiday celebrations. A photographer was onsite in late November for Santa pictures or Christmas family portraits.
As winter closes in, the low-maintenance native Muscadines bide their time. They seem to pair perfectly with Bella Vista’s chilled out atmosphere that Margie and James Sanford have created, perfect for small events and gatherings, all enjoying great wine.
“We’re not a party place,” Margie said. “It’s just more laid back.”d someone would come in and not love it the way we do and tear it down,” Tami said. “It doesn’t need to be torn down; it needs to be loved.”
