On Thursday, October 9, Brotherhood, America’s Oldest Winery, hosted its 175th anniversary celebration. More than 200 guests enjoyed the event, held in the restored Grand Monarque Hall, one of Brotherhood’s historic stone buildings built during the Emerson ownership of the winery in 1894. Guests included distributors, members of the press and local dignitaries, including Senator William Larkin. To commemorate the special occasion, attendees received the first introduction to Brotherhood’s “1839” Cabernet Sauvignon, a limited edition wine produced in honor of the anniversary.
Brotherhood President Hernan Donoso led remarks from the winery’s owners, including Pablo Castro, as well as the Board of Directors, led by Chairman Luis Chadwick. A special appearance was made by Anne Farrell, whose family previously owned the winery from 1921 to 1987.
The evening included a presentation of a short film written by Robert Bedford and produced by filmmaker Tomás Donoso. Following the film, Donoso announced Bedford as the official historian of Brotherhood. Bedford is the author of the newly-released book, which commemorates the winery’s milestone anniversary: The Story of Brotherhood, America’s Oldest Winery. Bedford is executive editor of Hudson Valley Wine Magazine.
