In John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath, a family of sharecroppers escapes the Dust Bowl in search of a more fruitful life in California. Today, another family is doing quite the opposite, transporting grapes from California in search of a fruitful, home-grown business in Oklahoma City. That family is husband-wife duo Roger and Jalynn Smith, who, along with Roger’s brother Shane Smith, are producing the best Oklahoma-made wine I’ve tasted—right in the heart of the city.
Backyard Vineyards, named in part for the relaxed ambience and the sense of lounging in a garden it conjures, opened in the Farmers Market District in 2024, using grapes brought in from across California—from Lodi to Napa—to make, bottle, cork, label and pour wine entirely on-site. By using California grapes, rather than Oklahoma varieties with intense sweetness due to our sunnier, hotter climates, the winemaking brothers produce products of the utmost quality. Even the sweeter fruit wines, like a Peach Chardonnay and a Black Cherry Pinot Noir, are impressively balanced.
On a recent visit, I perched myself at the bar and poured through a tasting flight, sampling the likes of Malbec, Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling. Each sip was as complex, surprising and nuanced as the next, and each bottle had a story to tell. The Malbec, for instance, was inspired by the Smiths’ desire to make a different style of familiar wine. Dubbed “The International,” they use Hungarian oak—rather than the traditional French oak—as an aging vessel, to instill notes of smoke and heady vanilla. The venture paid off, as The International is the company’s most popular wine, often selling out.
Other varieties are as quenching as they are heartwarming, Like The Hotshot, a Tempranillo, rich with notes of red berries and leather, inspired by a group of firefighters who lost their lives in a fire in Prescott, Arizona. Roger being a former firefighter himself, all of the names of the fallen firefighters are listed on the back of the bottle, and all firefighters, military, first responders, nurses and teachers get 10% off on this, and all wines. Then there’s The P, a Peach Chardonnay named after both the town of Prescott and the owners’ daughter, which eschews excess sugars in favor of fresh fruit, nectar and a clean, crisp finish.
Along with other pours, like a Pinot Noir and a Riesling, I was so transfixed by the flavors and the overall atmosphere that I returned the next day to sit on the patio. The whole atmosphere, inside and out, reminds me of Texas Hill Country, complete with table games, bison-themed decor, charcuterie boards and swing-style seats. And yet, despite its Texas stylings and California connection, Backyard Vineyards is wholly its own. At its heart, this is a family dedicated to its craft, and to pouring high-quality wine that tells a story.
