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In THE STORY OF BROTHERHOOD, AMERICA’S OLDEST WINERY by Robert Bedford, the history begins in 1839, when Jean
Jaques, a farmer and cobbler by trade, founded what would become Brotherhood
Winery in Washingtonville, New York. Today, this Hudson Valley institution
continues its mission of producing premium wines that can be found all over the
world, while winery visitors tour the same cellars hand-dug by Jaques himself.
The book hallmarks nearly two centuries of the winery’s
history—through the industrial era, world wars, Prohibition, America’s changing
tastes in wine, economic recessions, and a devastating fire—and celebrates the
owners and stakeholders who contributed to its longevity through loyalty,
perseverance, and sheer innovation.
A remarkable collection of rare images illustrate the text,
stories and anecdotes—as well as the facts—with more than 350 photographs, wine
labels, documents, memorabilia, and advertisements, culled from private and
public collections, and carefully restored by the author. Most of the images
and documents have never been published before, or seen outside of Brotherhood
Winery. A timeline places the winery’s milestones over 175 years in the context
of American history.
“Through the photos, documents, and writings in this book we
can place Brotherhood not only in the context of American viticulture and the
country’s ever-changing tastes in wines, but also in the broader landscape of
American history. We can also look ahead, to what it means to preserve and
restore this rich history, and what it will forecast for the next centuries to
come.”
- Adam Strum, Editor and Publisher, Wine
Enthusiast Magazine