Inside New York's oldest winery and America's longest-pouring legacy
HUDSON VALLEY (WABC) -- Long before New York became known for world-class wine regions and vineyard tourism, one small winery in the Hudson Valley was already making history.
Founded in 1839, Brotherhood Winery has survived wars, economic downturns, Prohibition, fire, changing tastes, and nearly two centuries of American history - earning its place as the nation's oldest continuously operating winery.
"We're in the original cellars of the winery right now," tour guide John Wolek explained while walking through the underground stone passageways carved by hand nearly 200 years ago.
The winery's roots trace back to founder John Jaques, a bootmaker who arrived in what was then the hamlet of Little York in the early 1800s.
As grape growing expanded throughout the Hudson Valley, Jaques planted vineyards of his own and eventually opened Blooming Grove Winery, selling church wine made from native American grape varieties.
As consumer tastes shifted toward European-style wines, so did the business. The winery expanded, building extensive underground cellars - some 14 to 16 feet below ground with walls up to four feet thick - all excavated by hand over roughly a decade.
Over time, ownership changed hands and so did the name.
The winery became Brotherhood after one of its customers - a religious group called the Brotherhood of New Life - inspired a rebrand that stuck for generations.
Its history is intertwined with some of the biggest moments in American history.
During Prohibition, while thousands of wineries closed, Brotherhood remained open by producing sacramental and medicinal wines - a loophole that helped preserve both the business and its legacy.
"By 1920, they had to stop making all wine except church and medicinal wine," Wolek said. "They had a great business during Prohibition."
Brotherhood also helped shape New York's wine culture in other ways, becoming an early destination for wine tourism in the 1960s and continuing to adapt as ownership changed through generations.
Then came disaster.
In 1999, a devastating fire destroyed portions of the historic property, leaving behind charred stone walls and uncertainty about the winery's future.
But once again, Brotherhood rebuilt.
Today, visitors touring the property can sample wines produced from grapes sourced largely from New York's Finger Lakes region while exploring the historic underground cellars that have remained standing through nearly every chapter of modern American history.
Among its notable offerings is Brotherhood Riesling - a wine once selected by former President Bill Clinton to represent New York State.
And while many things have changed since 1839, one thing remains the same: history is still being made here, one glass at a time.
As America approaches its 250th birthday, Brotherhood Winery offers a reminder that some of the country's oldest stories are still alive - and still aging well.
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