Brotherhood Winery in the Hudson Valley, the Oldest Winery in America

The oldest winery in America is not in California, it is in the Hudson Valley of New York State. The story of Brotherhood Winery begins in 1810 when a French Huguenot, Jean Jacques, bought property in the Hudson Valley and started his vineyard. The first cellars were dug in 1839 and the first vintage was fermented. Those cellars are still in use today.

Brotherhood was able to survive the Prohibition Era because they made sacramental wine, due in to small part to the fact that the number of clergy grew at an above normal rate during this period.

Brotherhood was also the first winery in the county to offer tours, host events and parties, which are now a part and parcel of just about every winery in the country. The winery suffered a disastrous fire in 1999 and it took until 2005 for the winery to recover. The new Brotherhood Winery will be bigger with more vineyards, upgraded equipment and new vines. In addition to growing its own grapes, Brotherhood purchases grapes from 30 other New York State vineyards.

The Winemaster, Cesar Baeza, is a native of Chile and a graduate of the University of Chile with a degree in
Viticulture & Enology and a Master's Degree in Viticulture & Enology from the University of Madrid, Spain. He has been with Brotherhood since 1974, when he started as Assistant Winemaker.

Brotherhood produces a wide range of wines including the reds: Cabernet Sauvignon, a wine with a hint of cherry perfect for beef dishes; Chelois, a dry red that goes well with tomato sauce dishes; Mariage, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay; Merlot made with grapes from the North Fork of Long Island, perfect for use with lamb, beef or duck; and Pinot Noir with berry and cherry flavors and hints of earth and mushrooms, perfect with broiled salmon, chicken and veal.

Their line of White Wines includes Chardonnay with the aroma of pears and vanilla and the taste of ripe pear, pineapple and butter. Charval, a blend of Seyval Blanc and Chardonnay that goes well with poultry, light fare and sharp cheeses, Dry Riesling, a crisp, dry, spirited wine that goes well with seafood or a mild, nutty cheese, Riesling with floral and lime aromas and a fruity flavor that goes well with salads, crab, or scallops or mild cheese, Seyval Blanc that is one of the most versatile of wines, suitable for entrees, salads or appetizers and White Zinfandel, a semi dry, light pink wine with a fruity aroma that can be served as a cocktail or with any meal,

Brotherhood Winery produces a limited selection of dessert wines including Cream Sherry that goes perfectly with bleu cheese and nuts and can be used as a cooking wine as well, Golden Mellow Sherry, a sweet fortified wine with a nutty flavor and Ruby Port, excellent as an after dinner wine as well.

Brotherhood Winery has a large selection of their own Specialty Wine creations including Carroll's Mead, a light low alcohol wine that is the official mead of the New York Renaissance Faire, Harvest Blush Catawba which is made from one of the oldest native grapes in the country, has the aroma of green apples, a tangy taste and makes a great wine spritzer, Holiday Spiced Wine which is made the same as it was in colonial times, served hot on a cold day, May Wine, a blend of white wine, herbs and strawberry juice which makes a Maymosa when added to champagne, NY Blush Chablis, a light Rose wine that goes well with Asian food, salads, light fare and appetizers, NY Burgundy that goes well with pastas, red meat, hearty dishes and sharp cheeses, NY Chablis, a crisp white wine that goes well with light fare, salads, appetizers and shellfish, Rosario Classic is a sweet red wine that can be served as is or made into a Sangria. Sauterne, with the aroma of candied lemon rind jasmine and a fruity taste and Sheba Te'j Honey Wine made from an ancient Egyptian recipe.

The line also includes two sparkling wines, Blanc de Blancs Champagne, a Hudson Valley Chardonnay, which was named the best sparkling wine in the Hudson Valley in 2008 and goes well with sharp cheese, oysters, lobster, appetizers and light meals and Carpe Diem Spumante made from the Moscato grape and is a sweet wine with a fruity flavor.

Source: Brotherhood Winery