The next stop on August #Winestudio Session XVI took us to the oldest continuously operating winery in the United States: Brotherhood Vineyards. You will recall from my article “A Soulful White Rose” reviewing Whitecliff Vineyard’s White Rose wine that the French Huguenots were the first to plant grape vines in the Hudson Valley in 1677. Brotherhood was established in 1839 but not by Huguenots; rather, by John Jaques (Jakes) from New Jersey. Jaques original underground cellars are the oldest and largest in the United States and are still being used by Brotherhood Winery today. Brotherhood Winery is located in Washingtonville, New York and is the closest winery to New York City. As you can see Protocol Studio’s monthly #Winestudio offers education and historical insight into the vast world of wine. Please join the conversation on Tuesday evenings at 8pm CST on Twitter by following #Winestudio.

Brotherhood NV “B” Sparkling Chardonnay: These lovely bubbles glistened gold in the glass and met the nose with green apples, citrus, brioche and a faint hint of oak that was actually autolysis or “dead yeast.” On the palate this effervescent wine danced with flavors of green apple, lemon curd with a hint of lime, pears and a touch of crushed stone and yeast. It was refreshingly dry with a slight touch of sweetness and a soft creamy texture on the back of the palate. It offered medium body with a medium finish and was quite refreshing on a hot summer night. I paired the lovely sparkler with scrambled eggs filled with roasted tomatoes, garlic, leeks and arugula topped with melted cheddar and served with chicken maple sausage.

The Brotherhood NV “B” Sparkling Chardonnay was crafted from 100% New York Chardonnay using the Charmat method, meaning it was double fermented in steel tanks rather than in the bottle. It contained 12% alcohol, with an SRP of $11.99; making this wine an affordable every day luxury, perfect to enjoy on a Tuesday. Brotherhood Winery distributes to 11 states so you can find this wine through distribution if you live close to New York or order direct from the winery. I recommend this wine.

As part of the educational experience of #Winestudio below is an illustration of the charmat method for producing sparkling as shared with me by Todd Godbout of Wine Compass. The illustration is from the Bortolomiol web page.

Brotherhood’s team is lead by renowed winemaster Cesar Baeza and winemaker Bob Barrow. The two men work closely to produce consistently high quality wines. Brotherhood’s vines are grown in Greendale Farm, located in the town of Hudson, the heart of the valley. “The farm is on a one hundred acre plot of land that gradually slopes down towards the Hudson River, which allows for ideal drainage and wind flow for grape production. The nearby river also creates a microclimate on the farm that tempers the harsh and varied climactic conditions in New York.” The harsh conditions offer challenges to the winemaker; therefore, proper grape selection is vital to produce high quality wines. The Brotherhood Winery Riesling is their top seller at $10.99 and is on the wine list at the White House. Their second best seller is their Pinot Noir at $14.99.

Here is a price list from Brotherhood Winery dating back to the 1800’s, compliments of Debbie Gioquindo of Hudson Valley Wine Goddess:

Brotherhood has a fascinating history of viticulture, utopian communal living, sacramental wine and prohibition which is all depicted in the art gallery at the winery. Furthermore, Brotherhood winery offers a variety events including dining in the Vinum Café, touring the oldest wine cellars in the US, hosting parties and corporate functions at the Grand Salon as well as an annual Pig Roast, Halloween Ball and much more. There is literally something happening at Brotherhood Winery every month! Visit the Brotherhood Winery web site to check out the entire list of events. This explains why Brotherhood was awarded the Trip Advisor Certificate of Excellence. If you are in the New York area you MUST add Brotherhood winery to your list of things to do! I encourage you to visit Brotherhood Winery’s web site to learn more about America’s Oldest Winery, check all that is happening there and view their entire portfolio of wines.

My Song Selection: The song I have chosen to pair with the Brotherhood NV “B” Sparkling Chardonnay is Dream Weaver by Gary Wright. The Sparkling Chardonnay was crisp, creamy and effervescent, and so is this song. Plus drinking bubbles on a Tuesday night is a great way to “try to take away my worries from today and leave tomorrow behind.” I recently went to see the Guardians of the Galaxy movie with my family. The movie is fair but the soundtrack is awesome. I do not believe this song is on the soundtrack but it is filled with great 70’s hits, similar to this song. What better way spend a Tuesday night than dream weaving with bubbles from New York!

Get your own bottle of Brotherhood NV “B” Sparkling Chardonnay and let me know what song you would pair with it.  Cheers!