Brotherhood Winery, America’s Oldest Winery, today announces the release of two limited-edition wines including the 2009 Vintage Port and “1839” California Cabernet Sauvignon in honor of the winery’s 175th Anniversary. Brotherhood has successfully prevailed in producing wines for nearly two centuries, even throughout Prohibition, since its first vintage release in 1839. Brotherhood’s two new wine releases are celebratory of the winery’s unparalleled historical significance.
“In the early beginnings of American winemaking history, Brotherhood made its mark for producing the best ports in New York State,” said Bob Barrow, Winemaker at Brotherhood Winery. “When we made the decision to create a high-quality port in honor of the 175th Anniversary, we selected 2009 because of the excellent harvest conditions that year.”
For 30 months this unfiltered, hazy wine carefully rested and matured inside new American oak barrels, producing a dark purple vintage port that expresses elegant vanilla oak notes. The 2009 Vintage Port’s full-body tannins give the wine structure, and the presence of plush dark berries round out for a full-bodied port with a pleasantly long finish. If this wine is cellared, the port will develop complexity over time and continue to provide excellent quality for decades.
“Additionally, Brotherhood is not only our country’s pioneer for winemaking within the Northeast, but the winery was also one of the first to purchase vineyards in California,” Barrow explained. “We decided to pay tribute to this, and in 2011 we developed the ‘1839’ Cabernet Sauvignon. At a high altitude, we carefully hand-picked grapes from the Red Hills in the world-renowned vineyards of Lake County, which we selected due to the proximity of where some of Brotherhood’s original vineyards were once located.”
The “1839” consists of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Petite Syrah, 5.5% Cabernet Franc and 5.5% Merlot. In order to preserve the identity and character of the wine’s varying grapes, the wine aged for 15 months in barrels consisting of 30% new American oak and 70% French oak. The result is a deep, ruby-colored wine, with complex and elegant flavors that hint wild berries, blackberries, cherries and spice. The “1839” California Cabernet has already begun to receive industry recognition and awards at wine competitions.
Both wines are $39.99 each and are available for online purchase at www.brotherhood-winery.com.
Brotherhood remains the oldest winery in America, continuously operating in Washingtonville, New York from 1839 to today. Brotherhood is one of the largest producers of wine in the state of New York for brand and private labels contracts. The winery produces ciders and a variety of internationally-recognized wines including Riesling, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Ruby Port and Sparkling. Every year Brotherhood hosts thousands of guests who visit the winery to participate in daily tours and tastings, weddings and special events. For more information regarding the winery and new book release “The Story of Brotherhood, America’s Oldest Winery” by Robert Bedford, visit www.brotherhood-winery.com.
