Brotherhood

Brotherhood was established in 1839 and is America’s oldest winery. In 1910, a French Huguenot emigrant, Jean Jaques, acquired land in the Hudson Valley of New York and began planting grapes. By 1837, he needed more land, so he bought another plot in Washingtonville, New York and planted another vineyard. By 1839, underground cellars were dug and Jaques vinified his first vintage. Those cellars, which are the oldest and largest in America, are still in use today at Brotherhood Winery. The Jaques family made wine at the Washintonville facility for almost 60 years, primarily to Jesse and Edward Emerson, two New York City wine merchants who were vintners themselves. When the Emerson family took control of the Washingtonville winery, they renamed it Brotherhood after an organization called The Brotherhood of New Life, an experiment in utopian communal living in the Hudson Valley. Louis Farrell and his family purchased the winery in 1921 and initiated the concept of wine tourism, hosting parties and events at the winery as well as introducing the Brotherhood brand to many American drinkers.

Today, the winemakers are Cesar Baeza, who has made wine worldwide, and Bob Barrow, who works closely with Baeza. The winery’s 2010 Pinot Noir (vineyard source not specified) is available at $14.99.