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Nightlife

NM Vintage Wines expands venue, keeps intimate feel

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LAS CRUCES - If you haven’t been to NM Vintage Wines in Mesilla lately, you might be surprised by their recently expanded patio area.

With an additional 200 square feet, the new outdoor patio gives both guests and entertainers more room to enjoy a day or night out.

“The expansion is something both we and our customers have wanted for a long time – especially during busy weekends and the holiday seasons when we were packed, the need for more space was critical,” said Morgan Switzer-McGinley, who owns Vintage Wines with her husband Marshall McGinley.

Along with extra space, the new patio includes added banco seating, more tables and chairs and a rustic loveseat. The original patio has been covered with vigas and latillas and finished with clear, corrugated panels on top, giving guests shelter, as well as a view of the sky.

There is also a larger stage for musicians – NM Vintage Wines generally books live music Friday-Sunday – and commercial-grade misters are being added to keep guests cool during hot summer days. Additional plants and garden lighting will help the venue retain its intimate feel, with various nooks ideal for conversation or dancing.

And the interior of Vintage Wines now has refrigerated air conditioning and heating.

While construction on the extended patio is complete (the majority of the exterior space was demoed and redone in just two-and-a-half days), there are still a few minor items yet to be installed, Switzer-McGinley said.

“We’ll be adding more annuals and more unique furniture,” she said. “The misters and garden lighting will also be added here and there. It’s almost a new learning curve to figure out what works, what’s needed and what we’ll need to address with the new space.”

Things like glassware, beverage inventory and staff are also going to increase.

“We’ve hired three more wine/beer superstars to keep up with what we hope will be an increase in visitors,” Switzer-McGinley said. “The interior room and additional restroom spaces will be done within the next two months. And don’t worry folks, Cleopatra (a familiar mural on the bathroom wall) isn’t going anywhere. She’ll live on.”

Switzer-McGinley said so far, feedback about the expansion has been positive.

“Everyone is so excited and loving the evolution, so that makes us happy we took the plunge on the changes,” she said.

Cooper Vlazny, a regular customer and performing musician at Vintage Wines, said he thinks the expansion “is great.”

“It really provides a better environment for people who just want to be up close and personal with the music, and it also provides an area for people to have their own conversations but still have the music in the background,” Vlazny said.

Vlazny, who was one of the first musicians to perform on the new stage and patio, said the added space doesn’t take away from the intimate vibe at Vintage that people know and love.

“It’s always nice to pack a little patio, but it’s also nice to have the room to expand and hold more people and accommodate more service,” he said.

Along with the intimate atmosphere Vintage provides, Switzer-McGinley said it’s the people and the local musicians that, together, make Vintage special.

“We’ve always told people when the patio is packed and we had just the three tables, ‘We have family-style seating so don’t be shy. You come here as strangers and leave as friends,’” she said. “You’d be surprised how many friendships, romances and relationships have started here.”

In addition to enhancing Vintage’s regular offerings, the expanded venue allows space to host special events such as weddings, receptions, fundraisers and more. There are also areas beyond the patio for which a celebration permit can be obtained to have even more “drinkable” areas, Switzer-McGinley said.

“We’ll be working with Mesilla businesses on catering options for those who want a rustic garden-style celebration,” she said.

For information about Vintage Wines, call 575-523-9463 (WINE) or visit nmvintagewines.com.

Alexia Severson may be contacted at alexia@lascrucesbulletin.com.


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