The ten acre Barlow vineyard is planted on a north-south alignment to capture optimum sunlight.  The soil is well-drained gravelly loam. The vineyard contains Concord and Niagra grapes which are sold to the juice industry, plus a recent crop diversification project, one acre of vinefura wine grapes.

The wine vineyard is composed of Riesling, Blaufrankisch (Lemberger), and Cabernet Franc vines trained to the Vertical Shoot Positioning system.  Planted in 2006, the first vintage is expected in 2009.

The two or so acres of Old Vine Niagras were planted in the 1920’s.  The remaining vineyard, called the Woods and East Vineyards, contain Concord grapes.  These are really “old vines” as they pre-date the Niagras.  Appropriately, the Concords are trained in the old “Umbrella Kniffen” style, a lovely, more labor intensive pruning system than “no tie” but thought to produce a sweeter fruit.

The Barlow orchard provides fresh fruit throughout the growing season and a fall harvest for juices, both sweet and nutritious as well as fermented.  Five varieties of berries follow in succession from May though October. They are dewberries, black raspberries, blueberries, red raspberries and black berries.  Plums and peaches precede ten varieties of apples – Mutsu for munching and the rest intended for an interesting cider blend.

There are a few vines of  hybrid wine grapes used to blend with Concords in wine making.  Along the garden fence, seedless hybrid grapes provide a sweet fall treat.