Our History is one source of our pride.  Our future is another.

French Roots

In 1810, a French Huguenot emigre named Jean Jacques purchased land in New York's bucolic Hudson Valley and began planting grapes.  By 1837, Mr. Jacques needed more land, so he purchased a plot in the quiet village of Washingtonville, NY, and planted another vineyard.  By 1839, his first underground cellars were dug and Mr. Jacques fermented his first wine vintage.  Those cellars, the oldest and largest in America, are still in use today at Brotherhood Winery.

The Original Brotherhood

The Jacques family made wine at the Washingtonville facility for almost 60 years, selling much of it to Jesse and Edward Emerson, New Your City wine merchants.  The Emersons, Finger Lakes vitners themselves, understood the high quality of Mr. Jacques' wine, and used it to improve a blend of wine from an organization called "The Brotherhood of New Life" an experiment in utopian communal living in the Hudson Valley.  As soon as the Emerson family took control of the Washingtonville winery, they renamed it Brotherhood, a name which it still proudly bears as America's Oldest Winery.

20th Century

The Emerson family operated Brotherhood until Prohibition.  In 1921, Louis Farrell purchased the winery and its large stocks of sacramental wine.  He sold wine for religious ceremonies throughout Prohibition, which was finally repealed in 1933.  It has been noted that the clergy population in the area grew substantially during this period. 

Farrell and his wife were the first to understand the value of Brotherhood's  location, as the nearest winery to New York City.  They began conducting tours of the winery, highlighting the now-enlarged underground cellars, the history of the facility and its perfect site.  Brotherhood was the first winery in America to offer tours of its cellars.  The Farrell family initiated the very concept of wine tourism, hosting parties and events at the winery that drew hundreds of thousands of fans annually, and introduced the Brotherhood brand to generations of American drinkers.

A partnership of businessmen purchased the winery in 1987, including a prominent winemaker originally from Chile, Mr. Cesar Baeza.  Baeza, already recognized as a master blender, wine educator and winery consultant, set about creating premium New York varietal wines and converting Brotherhood into a premier destination in NY State.

 A New Era of Brotherhood

After a disastrous fire in 1999, Brotherhood's fortunes suffered until 2005, when Mr. Baeza formed a new partnership with two winemaking families from Chile.  The Castro and Chadwick families have deep roots in the famous winegrowing areas of  the Maule Valley, near San Clemente, where they farm hundreds of acres of vinifera grapes, along with other fruit.

The new Board of Directors has embarked on a program of consistent improvement at Brotherhood, with a massive restoration and renovation project.  This project will include equipment upgrades, vineyard acquisition, the planting of new vines and a facility remodeling highlight the partners' commitment to improving quality.  The 21st century at Brotherhood will see continuous investment, designed to upgrade while preserving the historic legacy of America's Oldest Winery.

Brotherhood is honored to be on both the National Register of Historic Places and the New York State Register of Historical Places.