Did You Know New York Is Home To The Oldest Winery In Ameria?

Here's a smooth delicious fact- Did you know that New York State is home to the oldest winery in all of America?

For a state that's well known for the Finger Lakes and classic wine, we are also well known for historic winery. Brotherhood Winery was founded before the American Civil War. It's been going strong since 1839.

Is Brotherhood really the oldest winery in the United States? Who was the founder, and was he a Scottish emigrant, a French Huguenot, or a cloistered monk? Where did the name Brotherhood actually come from? How did the winery survive Prohibition? Did Brotherhood truly invent wine tourism? And how did it become the premium winery it is today?

Brotherhood Winery is located in Washingtonville. In 2000 it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. How did it all start?

Brotherhood Winery

Brotherhood Winery was started by John Jaques. Through the years of it's beginning, it was deeded in 1858 to his three sons, John Jr., Oren, and Charles, who later renamed it "Jaques Brothers' Winery". In 1886, James M. Emerson and his son, Edward R., acquired the winery from Charles, the last surviving Jaques brother. The Emersons renamed the operation "Brotherhood" and expanded its facilities. The winery remained in operation during Prohibition as it produced sacramental wine for the Catholic Church.

What Type Of Wine Is Produced There?

Brotherhood Winery

According to the internet, the winery was known for its Vitis labrusca-based wines, their spiced "holiday wine," and they also produce specialty wines, including one flavored with ginseng and a May wine with sweet strawberry flavors. The winery also produces a version of wine similar to mead made from wildflower honey and an Ethiopian-style honey wine.

In the 1970s the winery began producing wines made from French hybrid grapes, which the winery still sells.[5] Under the ownership of Cesar Baeza the winery has begun creating wines from Vitis vinifera grapes. Wines include cabernet sauvignon, pinot noir, merlot, chardonnay, riesling and a white zinfandel."

You can check out their total wine catalog online here.

Take A Tour

Brotherhood Winery

If you're looking to go on a historic trip, you can book tours online here. The cost is only $25 per person.

By the Glass, You Cannot Go Wrong at These 13 Upstate New York Wine Bars

Wine bars are spreading across Upstate New York rapidly. Not necessarily bars in the traditionally sense, or corner saloons, or cocktail lounges, but wine bars which focus mainly on the many varieties of wines from around the world.

Of course Upstate is no slouch when it comes to wine, with the Finger Lakes wineries now grabbing many of the headlines at wine expos and competitions around the country. But local wine producers, even the very small ones, are starting to nudge into the pack of award-winning vinos from coast to coast

Here is a list of 13 great wine bars. They all serve food and many of them have the word "restaurant" in their name, but as you will see, the wine is the superstar at all of these fine Upstate New York places.

These 12 Awesome Wine Trails Criss-Cross The Whole of Upstate New York

Over the last decade or more, the wine industry in Upstate New York has exploded. Today there are over 100 wineries across our region. Some of them are big, corporate wineries and vineyards. Others are smaller "mom-and-pop" wineries in out-of-the-way rural places. All are excellent.

Upstate New York has a 12 full-fledged wine trails to offer visitors. These "trails" are organized to maximize a wine lover's experience in Upstate New York. The trails on this list cover the Hudson Valley, Catskills and Adirondacks, Central New York, Finger Lakes, and Western New York regions.

Each entry has a link to the trail itself. Enjoy!

Saratoga Mansion Boasts 1600 Bottle Wine Cellar & Furnished Cabin in Yard

The outside of this $3 million mansion is deceivingly plain but is gorgeous throughout. There is an enormous walk-in closet, marble throughout the bathrooms, and a wet bar. The centerpiece of this home is a 1600 bottle wine room that is off of the living room. enclosed in glass walls. There is also a cool structure in the backyard that is a man cave cabin.

Source: Did You Know New York State Is Home To The Oldest Winery In America?

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