A weekend tour amongst the vines of Brotherhood Winery, where the the oldest vinyards still attract the attention of New York natives and anyone who might enjoy a glass of barrel-aged merlot.
A cafe located on site serves local labels
During Prohibition, Brotherhood remained creative by re-profiling into the production of church wine. It has been noted that the clergy population in the area grew substantially during this period.
One of the cellars at Brotherhood WineryChampagne bottles are stored upside down and rotated regularly. The chalk marks help identify the bottles that need to be turnedThe cellars at the winery also served as Fallout ShelterCentury-old bottles of wine are carefully preserved
Before the process was automated, wine casks had to be manually cleaned from the insideThe lights at the cellarBrotherhood’s own collection of vintage labels
The winery is open for tours on history of the premises and the basics of wine-making
Despite barcodes, locals still use chalk to identify wine and vintage
Empty bottlesThe modern production facility where wine is made and packed
Each tour at the winery ends with a tasting of labels in season
Research room filled with wine bottles in all forms and shapesWinemakers Philip Dunsmore and Bob Barrow
How to get there Brotherhood winery is located at 100 Brotherhood Plaza Dr, Washingtonville, NY (2-hour car ride from Manhattan) brotherhood-winery.com
