The Brotherhood Winery Team
Our Team is lead by Winemaster Cesar Baeza. A native of Chile, Cesar began his journey in the wine industry at the University of Chile earning a degree in Viticulture & Enology. He earned a scholarship to pursue his Master's Degree in Viticulture & Enology at the University of Madrid, Spain and further studies in Sensory Analysis. After completing his studies in Spain, Cesar was named Winemaker at the Cave Cooperative d'Alba in southern France.
Cesar continued his education, moving to the U.S. in 1972, enrolling in a work/study program at Fresno State University. In 1974, he first came to Brotherhood Winery as Assistant Winemaker until 1976. From 1978 to 1987 Cesar was in charge of Research and Technical Services for PepsiCo's Wine and Spirits Division.
In 1987, Cesar came back to Brotherhood, this time as a principal owner of the company. Cesar was committed to improving the quality of Brotherhood's sweeter "Specialty" wines and also introduced a new product line of New York Varietal wines. He knew that New York vineyards were capable of cultivating and producing quality French varietal and hybrid grapes, and he helped lead the renaissance of the New York Wine Industry.
Through a disastrous fire and several ownership changes, Cesar remained at the helm of Brotherhood, America's Oldest Winery. In July of 2005, he created a partnership along with the families of two successful agri-businessmen from his native Chile. Today the company's Directors are committed to revitalizing and restoring Brotherhood's character and historical integrity while investing to produce the best quality wines possible.
Cesar is involved in all aspects of the Winery's operations. He travels to the vineyards, monitors the growing conditions and progress of the ripening of the grapes during the season. When the fruit is at its peak, Cesar will direct the vineyard team to begin the harvest.
Brotherhood Winery supports farm families all over New York by purchasing grapes from some 30 vineayrds every autumn. When the grapes arrive, the wine making team, led by Mark Daigle and Bob Barrow, get to work. Mark and Bob will have already analyzed the fruit and planned the processing. Grapes are brought to the de-stemmer/crusher and loaded into the machine, where the stems are removed and the grapes are gently crushed, releasing the juice which will make up Brotherhood's next vintage.
Depending on the grape variety, the must, juice and natural grape solids, is either put directly into a tank for fermentation or put into the press to remove the solids and extract the juice before it begins to ferment. Bob continues to test and analyze the juice as it is fermenting. He tests the sugar and acid levels, monitors flavor development and plans the aging regimen for each varietal with Mark and Cesar.
Our staff in the executive offices provides support for all of the daily functions of the business. Our customer service, accounting, special events and administrative support for the various departments of the business are all managed through the executive offices located at Brotherhood Winery.
Perhaps the most crucial part of our team are our Tour Guides. This dedicated group of wine enthusiasts understand Brotherhood's unique role in the wine industry and they love to communicate it. Each tour guide has his or her own style, so every Brotherhood Winery tour is different. Visitors come for a sampling of wines and leave with a lasting memory. When you visit Brotherhood, you'll be greeted with a smile, and we'll see that when you leave us, it is you who will be smiling.