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- Hours:
Mon-Fri 11 am - 5 pm
Sat 11 am - 6 pm
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- Private Lot
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26 reviews for Brotherhood, America's Oldest Winery
26 reviews in English
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Review from Suzy D.
1/3/2012 1 Check-in Here
Did the tour and tasting on New Year's Eve and had a great time!
This is America's oldest continuously operating winery and the tour goes into the history of the place, how they stayed open during Prohibition, and changes in ownership and wine making operations throughout the years. It's true that the vineyards have all been sold off, but Brotherhood does use all NY grapes, save one from Cali and another from Chile.
There are three flights available for the tasting according to their website, though we were offered two. They weren't strict about staying on the traditional/sweet v. varietal/dry flights...and to maximize exposure, I definitely sampled my partner in crime's choices too. They offer a couple of signature wines as well as the White House's wine representative from the great state of New York (apparently each state has a rep) -- the sweet Riesling. They also explain that they are able to keep prices low by having no advertising costs, so do not be wary of the low costs of the wine.
We opened a bottle of the Grand Monarque champagne for New Year's Eve...a $25 bottle the tour guide said was equivalent to Dom Perignon. No, no it wasn't. The Blanc de Blanc sparkling wine was much more flavorful yet still dry and bubbly...and less than half the price ($11).
Overall, an informative and fun couple of hours. And now I have a bottle of the May wine ($8) and the dry Riesling ($10) waiting for me in the fridge! -
Review from Bee D.
Vallejo, CA
The last time we were here was 23 years ago. The town hasn't changed much, but there are new stores and they are encroaching on the winery.
I didn't recognize the winery and the layout, and when I asked about it, I found out that it had burned in 1999 and was under renovation and under new ownership.
What hasn't changed is the great service and the wonderful wines that you can't find anywhere else. We love the Holiday Wine and were able to pick up a few bottles to take back to Cali with us. We tried their Carpe Diem Moscato and it was delightfully refreshing. The wine tasting was well priced at $10 and includes a nice etched glass.
Most of the wines range from $9.99 to $15.99 - inexpensive. -
Review from Catherine W.
Hopewell Junction, NY
4/30/2011
Brotherhood winery wasn't what I was expecting. Most other wineries I have been to have rows and rows of grapevines and country-like scenery. Brotherhood seemed very "commercial" if that makes any sense. You basically drive through a plaza parking lot to get there. There is very little scenery and a small area of grapevines. During the tasting, I was informed that their grapes are grown elsewhere throughout the state...some in long island (merlot) and some in the finger lakes (chardonnay). It was just surprising to go to the "oldest winery" and find it directly behind a Stop and Shop. I guess that will be the norm soon.
The operation was run pretty smoothly from what I can tell. You walk in, choose what tasting you want to do and they direct you to 1 of 3 tasting bars. The women leading the tasting was nice and seemed very knowledgeable. The wines were okay. I like the wines from other local wineries (Benmarl) more though. I did purchase a bottle of dry riesling ($10). Usually, I tend to lean towards chardonnay, but I wasn't crazy about theirs. The pinot noir was good for those who like red. -
Review from Monique R.
Kew Gardens, NY
9/6/2011
Its the OLDEST winery in America....but they dont grow their own grapes.
say what?
That wont count against them though. The venue is old. and you can tell. And the site has aged rather well given its age.
I started my time at brotherhood slightly buzzed. I opted to do the tour of the cellar first to sober up a bit. The date of my tour was hot and muggy. The damp cool atmosphere of the cellar was refreshing... and creepy. The first room of the cellar is like a museum. Old letters framed on the wall, old machinery and equipment, and kick ass lanterns. As we continued to walk there were random puddles everywhere. I stepped in a cold and slimy puddle but I havent grown a 6th toe [yet] so i think it was safe...wouldnt drink it though.
They host a lot of wedding recptions in the nicer parts of the cellar. Its a bit bizarre to me as the cellar is dark and damp... and I cant imagine having a party there... let alone wear a white dress down there!
Now, in the fall, they have haunted tours which make a lot more sense. I gaurantee a visit to the cellar on Halloween will scare the shit out of you- especially if you step in the weird puddle water!
When the tour was over we had a tasting. The riesling was really great and the thing that stole my heart was their sangria! They bottle and sell this sangria that needs nothing but refrigeration. The large bottle is $16 and the small is $9. Not a bad deal. WHen you run out of sangria, you can visit them online and buy another bottle! they ship!
Some warning: the sangria has been known to deliver QUITE a BUZZ! drink responsibly!Listed in: Get Your DRANK on
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Review from Rich J.
10/15/2011
I thought this place was pretty cool. Loved the tour of the cellars, the guide was very good and the cellars are full of history. The wine shop/ tasting room is very beautiful. The winery produces quite a variety of wines and also imports some from Chile. There are some good wines in there, and some eh wines. I found the Rieslings and the Blanc de blanc sparkling wine to be very good. We brought back a mixed case for $137...not bad. The Vinum Cafe's food was outstanding and very moderately priced. The tasting at the end of the tour was fun. All in all, a great way to spend half a day.
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Review from Isabel J.
Sunnyside, NY
10/18/2010
I took a trip to this winery and it was only about an hour and 15 minutes from NYC. The place it's nice and well kept. We paid $10 per person for a tour, wine tasting (they let you try 6 different wines) and you also get a souvenir wine glass. I really enjoyed the tour and the some of their wine was pretty good and cheap (about $9 a bottle)
There it's also a restaurant there with good food and reasonable prices the only thing I didn't like it's that they don't sell wine at the restaurant or let you bring your own (which makes no sense since you are at a winery) -
Review from Rebecca S.
Philadelphia, PA
8/15/2010
Though I have now visited many wineries and vineyards around both the US and abroad, this was the first tour and tasting that I took after turning 21. My dad and I visited a few years back as my father's day gift to him, he spent many summers on his grandparent's farm in the area and thought it would be a nice nostalgic and scenic day trip from North Jersey.
The winery itself is beautiful, the grounds are well kept and condusive to spending quality time outdoors. We took a tour by a very well informed guide that gave the entire history of the winery in addition to the traditional informative tour on the makings of wine. The guides give a very detailed history of the evolution of the winery itself including how it survived the prohibition era which I found to be quite interesting. The old cellars where the now unusable casks are found are absolutely amazing. Dark and dingy, musky smelling with just enough light to guide the way from old wooden chandeliers, I remember the guide telling us that they hold an annual Halloween party down there...it must be killer (no pun intended).
After our tour we were escorted to the tasting bars where we had flight choices of reds or whites, though the somelliers were accomodating to pretty much allow us to taste whatever we wanted. $10 for a tour and 5 tastings and only $5 per flight after with a commemorative glass is a real deal for a novice wine taster. We bought a case of their signature May Wine made with strawberry, very unique and has been enjoyed on more than one summer afternoon with friends. Their chardonnay was my favorite, light and crisp with a nice hint of pineapple and pear. I'm not normally a riesling fan, but their dry riesling was wonderful. Their original Riesling was too sweet for me, but was chosen by Bill and Hillary Clinton as the official White House Riesling as there were few domestic choices on the wine list.
Their bottle pricing is absolutely reasonable, I don't think I spent more than $100 on almost a dozen bottles of wine and champagne. The blanc de blancs champagne is superb for the low price of $10.99/bottle and am considering using it at my upcoming wedding. I would recommend this winery to anyone in the area and anyone visiting for that matter. -
Review from Helen O.
Monroe, NY
2/10/2012
I've been going to the Brotherhood Winery for years. My mother likes the riesling and it is a decent price. I'm just getting very upset with the parking. The only 16 spots are always occupied. Many times I had to park my car farther out in the adjacent field. But it's muddy and rocky and I ruined a perfectly good pair of boots walking up to get wine. It's too dark if you do not go in daylight. The worst was on my last visit, a day after the snow storm. Nothing was plowed. Someone could and will get hurt. Not me though. I'm not going to get my wine there anymore. I'd actually give the wine 3 stars but they get one from me for the way they ignore thew basic needs of the customers.
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Review from MandA R.
Scotch Plains, NJ
Brotherhood was a nice winery where you could spend some serious time. We missed the tour of the grounds and the winery itself but did enjoy the wine tasting, $7 for 6 wines. You will need to decide sweet or dry wines for your tasting. One of the employee will pour a nice size taste in each glass and give a small description of each wine. The taste is large enough to share, so if you can't decide sweet or dry wine then share. Employees seemed a bit overwhelmed and they do shut down promptly at 5. No worries though because there are 2 other vineyards within about a 35 min. drive. Just consult the wine trail map for details. Plenty of seating to enjoy a bottle with friends, can't comment on food though.
Listed in: NY Winerys
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Review from L C.
Westchester, NY
6/28/2009
We were here for the "Around the World in 80 Miles" event, so I can't speak to their regular tastings. They seemed very well organized, unlike Palaia, but it definitely isn't as homey. Historical, yes, as it's America's oldest winery, and some good wines can be had, most reasonably priced.
Our favorite here was the fruity Riesling, which has the notoriety of being a White House pick since Clinton took office. We picked up a few bottles of this, and at under $10 each, it's quite a bargain.
There were a lot of bachelorette parties with drunken girls teetering on high heels, which was kind of annoying to me, but perceptions on that may vary according to gender. -
Review from Meowella s.
Beacon, NY
9/29/2008
This shit show is like a boozy, trashy amusement park for adults. I was literally in shocked upon arrival. There was a DJ outside screaming over cheesy music and yelling at people as they walked in (wedding singer style- and not in a funny way). If you don't pay $10 for a glass, they make you you taste wine out of tiny plastic ramekins. A nasty old man gave our tasting and he insulted us the entire time. One example, my husband asked for another plastic ramekin because the guy was going so fast with the tasting and the old curmudgeon's response was "whaddya gonna do mix em all togeth-ah!" Um no. What? He was horrible and mean to everyone the entire time. It was awful.
It's a real shame Brotherhood decided to take this route with their winery because the grounds and structures are pretty cool. What they have come with is really tacky and tasteless with rude employees and screaming DJ's. There were literally charter buses dropping sweat pant clad people off (where were they coming from) in the parking lot. Again, I was in shock. Don't do it. -
Review from Tisha B.
Highland, NY
11/8/2008
I have to say - as a local - I can kind of see where the negativity is coming from - but that's why we don't go to the festivals. If you show up on a random weekend, it's quiet, the staff has always been helpful and knowledgeable, and the wines - well - let's just say if you are going to be in business as America's oldest continuously running winery (which is their schtick) you have to be doing something right. They are. I have yet to have anything there that isn't at the very least drinkable, and my husband and I are addicting our friends one-by-one to their port. Seriously - try the port. At $10 a bottle it compares to some of the ports I've had 4x the price.
The grounds are nice, but let's face it - the reason to go to a winery is to taste the wines. And Brotherhood has some really good wines. -
Review from Lai-Yee B.
Albany, NY
1/7/2008
I remember way back before Brotherhood got really popular. It was just that winery thing at the end of the road, and hell, you could drive off of the cliff because things weren't really well marked.
Now it's much more spacious, and after the fire (hey, we were in the tri-county news for THAT one!) they've done some re-building, but still kept it rustic.
There are wine sampling areas in the wine selling store area which get some action on busy event weekends, but over all can be kind of empty if nothing is going on. But you get case discounts on wine too, so that's a plus.
The tour... eh, I've never really felt the urge to take the official tour. The Halloween haunted winery is cute, though.
Overall, it's cool to check out when there's an event and it will be busy, otherwise it's just kind of boring. But, because it is from my home town and makes wonderful sweet wines (holy crap, Meade, May Wine, etc are all SO good), I will always have a wonderful place in my heart for it.
Also, don't wear wedges or heels if you're parking far way in the grass. The grass and stone filled dirt paths make it a little less than ideal for walking. -
Review from Bo C.
New Haven, CT
2/3/2011
My favorite winery around NYC for several reasons:
Great Riesling for 10 bucks
Most wines are cheaper than surrounding wineries
Like the tour
Tasting with enthusiastic staff -
Review from eva a.
Centereach, NY
10/24/2011
The winery has a little area the size of my backyard that is actually the whole vineyard, because they get their grapes from other areas of NY. The winery sold part of the land to other businesses like the stop and shop next door. It did not feel like the typical country scenic winery. I did the tour and tasting. Before going down to the dark and wet cellar, I noticed the mold on the walls leading to the cellar entrance. Once I entered the cellar, the strong moldy musty smell hit me. The mold is overwhelming; as I entered the different rooms, I saw it on the ceiling, wall, floor, oak barrels and whatever was in the way. I have never seen so much mold in my life. Some people actually touched the mold on the doors, because it was so thick and fuzzy, they thought it was just part of the halloween decoration.
On the up side, the staff was friendly and informative. The tasting was good, and the wine was cheap. If you don't have an allergy to mold and you have no problems breathing in mold, this is the atypical winery for you. -
Review from Petson C.
Brooklyn, NY
12/28/2008
The winery was hard to find initially because the sign for the winery wasn't properly facing the on-coming traffic. After asking a local, we where directed to the right place.
The winery itself was impressive. I highly recommend seeing it first hand. Our tour guide Bob, was very informative and gave us a very good insight into the history of the winery. He also answered all our questions pleasantly.
So, you ask why we rated this place 1 star? Well, the people who work there are RACIST. We are a group of 6 asians and 1 hispanic working class professionals. We walked into the winery with smiles and greeted them with hellos... just to be completely ignored. The staff, ALL of them, continued to talk among themselves pretending not to see us. We all stood in front of the counter for close to 5 minutes before they turned around and unwillingly served us without a smile or a glance at us. The whole entire time, the lady with the long blond hair stared at the cash register and mumbled at it as she took our cash and issued tickets.
After the tour, we had our wine tasting... the lady Joann, was the only non-racist staff member. She was pleasant and polite.
As we strode thru the winery looking at different types of wine to purchase as gifts and for our up-coming New Year's eve gathering, the staffs were un-willing to let us sample any other wine that were WILLINGLY SERVED to others present at the time. There was a self-serve table for the Chocolate Cherry wine, as soon as I poured one sip of it into my glass, an old man (unnamed), quickly walked over and grabbed the bottle and placed it on a shelf behind the counter. I ended up sharing my sip of wine with TWO friends because my friends weren't able to get a sip of their own.
My sister also asked to taste their Ginseng Wine, and the server responded, "Well, I cannot be giving out wine like this now!" So rude. It was her FIRST request after our tour. And it was our SECOND request as a group. Note: Not all 7 of us requested the same wine or even requested a taste of ANY wine.
At the end, when we had 6 bottles of wine for purchase, the cashier was unwilling to give us a 10% discount that they were offering to the customers before us. They assumed that we didn't hear them offer the discount.
Overall... great place... racist and unfriendly staff members. I'm sure there are better wineries than this place. BTW... the tour guide told us that they are planning to have a bed and breakfast on site in the future... good luck... with the attitude and service that we were provided... we wouldn't go back.
Please stay away from this winery. Check out the other wineries out on Long Island... MUCH friendlier staff and you even get to enjoy your wine in the vineyard. You can also try wine tasting in the city at Union Square. -
Review from Brian R.
Harrisburg, PA
12/12/2008
Very cool winery, the entire place is very old and historic, truly unique. The wine that we purchased was pretty good, although I didn't really appreciate having to pay to try a few tiny samples. I'll also vouch for the other reviews here, the service was pretty spotty which is a shame because otherwise it would be a great destination.
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Review from C Jennifer C.
Los Angeles, CA
1/27/2011 1 Check-in Here
We had a fabulous time at the Brotherhood Winery this past Sunday. George was an exceptional,charismatic tour guide. After touring the grounds & cellar we were treated to a delightful tasting. The history & beauty of the winery amplified the hospitality we were shown. We have no clue where these 'racist' posts are coming from. Three Latinas & two slices of apple pie really enjoyed the beauty & wine from the 'oldest winery in North America'.
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Review from jonathan j.
New York, NY
1/17/2010
The tour is pretty interesting, primarily because of its long history - pretty cool to learn about how they've evolved over time, how they stayed in biz through Prohibition, etc. Also interesting to walk through the huge underground area.
The wine, however, is generally awful. I'm no snob and I've never thrown out wine into those buckets on the tasting table they provide, but this time I had to. For example, the chardonnay tasted like alcohol-flavored water.
The tastings sizes are tiny, which turned out to not be a big deal since the wine was so bad. The "free wine glasses" they give you are very small tasting glasses that you can't really re-use at home. But if you don't get that, you're tasting out of a little plastic cup which is just pathetic looking. Never seen a winery make people do that before!
Also important to note they don't grow grapes here, its all imported.
There are plenty of great wineries in the area, I'd recommend you try others like Benmarl, which is far more charming, they grow their own grapes, and the wine is actually something you'd buy. -
Review from Emma H.
Philipstown, NY
9/19/2010
I have visited this little winery several times, in several seasons and always find the afternoon enjoyable.
DO make your way to the winery during the "Haunting", its a gr8 time.
I was remiss to get my questions answered on this visit...the hostess who sold us our tour and taste flight tickets was very uninformed regarding the activiites at the winery (and she was clear regarding her total lack of knowledge!!).
Our tour was eventuially taken with an informed guide with excellent service skills that we totally enjoyed. The grounds are as remembered and thriving after the 1999 fire that nearly destroyed the entire place.
The tasing flight was quite enjoyable and, unlike other places, was quite generous.
This was an afternoon day for us, I surely do not understand the rationale for bringing young children here as the parents sipped wine in the afternoon sun while listening to music...for the most part, many of the children were running about unattended~~~I say this not because the children disturbed my visit, but more for the social concern...why? -
Review from Orlando E.
New York, NY
7/13/2006
Some days back, looking for something active to do on a weekend, we decided to visit this winery. Almost out of the blue as we didn't know anything about it. We had some plans in Rhode Island, the day before, so we needed something to do, to cover the way back to NYC. Well after searching somewhat, we spotted Brotherhood. They had Karaoke!!... i guess you will see that often on my reviews.
Touted as one of the oldest, or the oldest winery in USA, we had to check it out. The promise, Karaoke, grilled goodies and wine.
We got there after going down unmarked winding roads and back roads... It is hidden away in a very rural area and you need to drive up a dirt road to actually reach the winery. As we got there, the sound of music and out of tune singers caught our ears. The sights were not the expected vineyards, as this is the actual processing place, not where they grew the grape. It looked old, run down but serviceable. We got there too late to get on the tour, and what we had gotten there for was the wine, not the sights. Well also for the music.
A few local folks littered the make shift tables on the courtyard between old buildings. A stage was setup and singers wailed to their fave tune. The food was basic, burgers, sausages some sodas. The setup was simple and serviceable. To our left was a long wooden building that housed the cellar and shops. Here at the wine cellar they had some tastings going on, which were pretty full. Their wine selection was varied, with Rieslings, Pinot Grigios, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Sevignon Blanc and other usual wines. They also had some spiced options. Prices went from about 10.00 a bottle to way up there for the more select bottles. We purchased a Riesling a Full bodied Red, think it was a merlot... and a Zinfendel (which i didn't have). Prices averaging 15.00 each. Besides their own, they also had some sparkling wines from other wineries. We also got one of these. Besides making wine i suppose that knowing how to select good ones is important.
I wont go into details with the wines as I'm not a wine critic neither an expert. Let it be said that the red was full bodied, strong and rich. The white was nice and crisp, very refreshing if a bit aromatic. The sparkling wine was on the sweet side, but crisp. Nicely balanced. Would have it again in a heartbeat... hmmm if i recalled the name... which always happens to me and i forget what wines i like. I heard the Zinfendel was very tasty as well, on the sweet side. -
Review from T. F.
Brooklyn, NY
7/3/2011
0 Stars. Only the honey mead wines were passable; everything else was awful.
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Review from Ian and Ashley S.
Montgomery, NY
2/7/2010
Simply a fascinating place to visit. The oldest winery in the USA. Take photos, take a tour, take at least one flight. Everything they produce is delicious - ask for the blush that they have in the White House. Mmmm.
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Review from Rick C.
West Point, NY
4/29/2009
The grounds are beautiful, and the tour is worth the $5 to see how the wines are made. The staff was so so, being moderate to no help depending on who you speak to. I am not impressed with the wine... For the longest continuously running winery in the US, you'd think it would be better. My wife and I actually left the tasting early after giving up hope of tasting something we would like. It's a pleasant winery, worth a visit, but don't get your hopes too high.
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Review from Jodi r.
Sussex, NJ
4/16/2010
Brotherhood is the best local winery. Their wines are amazing & very affordable. Much better than some expensive wines I've tasted & not finished.
The grounds are amazing. They can host festivals, they have some fun events all the time, such as candle light dinners in the cellar and the chef made AMAZING food. They also have haunted cellars. Check out their website.
As for the other comments left- maybe from their competition? If there is an issue with an employee, report it to their boss!
This is the last racist place on earth btw... Most of the staff is bi-lingual.
The Pinot Nior, ice-wine, reisling are the best !!!!!!!!! oh, the sparkling champagne is uncomparable it's so great! I buy it all the time! -
Review from Tom Z.
New York, NY
2/1/2009
The tour is not bad but the wine sucks. I remember coming here when I was a kid and the vibe was different. Now its just a joke. As for the rude and "racist" staff, I haven't seen it.
