Mary & Gerry of Victory View Vineyard
Who is the family behind the vineyard?
The whole Barnhart family is involved in Victory View Vineyard. We - Gerry and Mary - first planted a test plot of hybrids grapes in our side yard in 2007. Though skeptical at first, the vines survived the winter. In 2009 Gerry made wine with the grapes from these vines.
How does everyone help the wine get into the bottle?
In 2008, our sons, Gerry’s brother and friends helped us with our first commercial planting and trellis building.Since then we planted more grapes in two subsequent years, and family and friends again helped with planting. Our sons, Francis and Russell and daughter, Erin, help out with all kinds of chores in the vineyard and bottling in the winery, when they can. During our busiest time of year - harvest, it’s all hands on deck. Our sons, our daughter and daughters-in-law, Judy and Norabelle, all help with harvest. Russell also built and manages our website.
What inspired the Barnhart family to start making wine?
We wanted to keep our farm in agriculture and produce a value-added product that was unique to this region. Science has improved wine grapes, and the hybrids that we grow make exceptional wine. Plus, we enjoy wine with dinner.
How did you come up with the name Victory View Vineyard?
Our family voted on the name – Victory View Vineyard. We wanted to emphasize agriculture and our vineyard’s unique terroir. Since we are located in a region of historical significance we chose a name with a historical connection to the land and the American Revolution. Our farm is situated on a ridge across the Hudson River from the Saratoga National Historical Park. Hence, Victory View…
Why did your family settle in Washington County?
Washington County is a beautiful rural county. We enjoy the many opportunities for outdoor recreation, the peaceful environment and the friendly people. Washington County has good public schools and close proximity to the Adirondacks, Vermont, Saratoga and the NY Capital District.
What makes your vineyard stand out from the rest?
Our vineyard stands out because we have great soils, a southerly-sloping aspect and a good breeze to dry it out after rainfall. Our vineyard produces exceptional grapes due to Gerry’s attention to scientific details and care for the vineyard environment. We exclusively use the grapes we grow to make our wine. We don’t buy grapes, juice or wine from other producers.
How do you choose the unique names for your wine?
Most of our wines are varietals, but we also give them artistic or fanciful names. We have fun with it. We believe this is a way to connect our wines to the terroir and our region and its history. Some of the names of our wines are Lafayette, Revolution, Turning Point, Independence. We have a strong women series, too, and name wines after women of the colonial period, like Abigail for Abigail Adams, and Charlotte for Fredrika Charlotte Riedesel. Also, since most people are unfamiliar with these new hybrids varietals, we think it helps customers remember their favorite wine.
If you could only pick one wine as your favorite type of wine?
We’re best known for our dry red wines with Turning Point, the first marquette wine that we made. Marquette is our signature grape and we make other wines with this grape – Revolution, Independence and occasionally Rebellion. In 2018 we released our first red blend – Three Rivers – of marquette and two other red grapes.
Last updated September 12, 2019