Growing gapes can be a rewarding pursuit. They’re appealing to the eye, pleasing to the palate, a profitable sideline, and a reason for parties and neighborhood togetherness. Small wonder so many vineyards are cropping up in people’s yards.

“The idea of having a landscape that produces something is one of the attractive issues,” said Tom Powers, a winemaker who has designed and installed more than 100 small vineyards, mainly around the Alhambra Valley of Contra Costa County, Calif., near where he lives. “The other thing is the lifestyle of being in wine country is attractive to people and they want to be a part of it.”