Fortified Wines, Not Porto, Presentation:

The Brotherhood Winery is commonly considered to beAmerica’s oldest winery established in 1839. It is located in Washingtonville, the state ofNew York, in the Hudson River Region AVA. The winery was started by European immigrant John Jaques, who later deeded it to his three sons.

Actually, the winery does not grow grapes in neighbor vineyards, thus limiting its local production. The major reason for this is that they sold adjoining lands to various commerce establishments, such as local shops and supermarkets.

As a result, they purchase the world’s most widely known grape varieties intended for wine production. They include: Chardonnay, Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon from Finger Lakes and Long Island and Merlot – a French technical type of grapes used for varietal wines fromTexas.

However, despite this fact, the winery has its own production of 100 acres inHighlandlocated near the Hudson River and just north to Washingtonville, where they grow several Vinifera and Hybrid grape varieties, known asConcord, Agria, Riesling and Pinot Noir.

While making their wine, the viticulturists employ specific viticulture processes to produce truly tasty and unusual wine varietals. They not only control and monitor various pests and diseases, fertilize and irrigate the vineyards, but also monitor fruit characteristics and their development and decide when to harvest or prune grape vines during the wintertime.  Thus, “right rootstock, planting, pruning, training, protecting the vines” (the Brotherhood Winery, 2013, para. 4) are the major viticulture processes made by any viticulturist. Hence, utilizing various innovative techniques can help winemakers produce delightfully tasty and unique wines.

Focusing our intention on the total winery areas, it is possible to say that they have a pretty wide winery area with a huge number of various buildings that are just for you to enjoy during your visit: the museum in hand-excavated cellars, the mansion that is located in the west end of their campus and surrounded with some stone structures from the mid 1800’s, Vinum 4 stars Cafe, Gift Shop, Grand Monarque Hall Private Party Offerings, Blackbuilding with an actual Crushing vats, Fermenting pots and of course Tasting Room.

In fact, they produce 800 thousands of cases for outsourcing activities per year.  As widely known, wine is considered to be very susceptible to temperature changes. Thus, the Brotherhood Winery keeps their wine creations in the most proper wine storage temperature (50-55 °F). Additionally, they use American Oak barrels and have 45 hundred gallon barrels for storage, aging and wine production.

In order to make excellent quality wine varietals, the winemakers strictly adhere to the wine production technologies, which consist of the following essential vinification practices: 1) planning (grapes are conveyed to the winery and then processed and pressed); 2) primary fermentation (it creates wine’s alcohol); 3) secondary fermentation (it lasts from 3 to 6 months, depending on the type of the future wine); 4) purifying or refining (occurs after fermentation to remove any solid parts); 5) preserving (it should be preserved with potassium sorbate or sulfur dioxide); 6) bolting and labeling.

Furthermore, they produce different cocktails, such as sherry, Sparkling Wine utilizing Charmat method – commonly used mainly in industrial productions.

Being at the Brotherhood Winery, we as a group had a young guide, who had enough knowledge about the history and events of the winery.  However, he did not say much about the technical aspects for growing the grapes (approach to agriculture) and vinification practices. During the tasting our guide was able to tell us about the specific grape varieties, different wine styles and the food to pair with. The tasting was conducted in a clean, quiet, and well-ventilated area. All tasters were provided with spitting caps. Overall, the customer service was good and full of a helpful and positive experience.

Tasting notes of the wines that we tasted were as follows: sparkling wine “Blanc de Blanc” made from Chardonnay Grape – very dry, acidic and crisp with notes of citrus and lemon. As for me, I would pair it with a cheese plate and just simple grapes. The second tasting note was Brotherhood Dry Riesling – a dry and lemony wine dominated by green apples. Matching Brotherhood Dry Riesling with spicy food would be a great combination. The third one is known as Rosario Specialty wine –Concord, Agria grape – fruity and sweet. It would be great to pair it with Custard Tard and strawberry coulis. The forth note was Brotherhood Pinot Noir – a dry, tart and easy wine with some hints of oak, cherries, berries and vanilla. And the last one was Brotherhood Merlot – a soft, dry, medium-bodied red wine with notes of blueberries and black currants, which actually would pair with red meat.

Thus, taking the above-mentioned information into consideration, it is possible to draw a conclusion that the Brotherhood Winery is truly a great place where you can not only carry out a tasting of unique and unusual wine collections, but also purchase innovative and delightfully tasty wine varietals, as well as have lots of fun too. As for the comments and recommendations it should be argued that one of the main focuses concerning the Brotherhood Winery must be paid not only to the history and events of the winery itself , but also to some approaches to agriculture and viticulture processes applied by the wine factory.

Yatta Kamara

May 16, 2013

BEDELL CELLARS

             I choose to visit Bedell Cellars when I read that it’s a 30-year-old sustainably farmed and family owned estate vineyard and winery on the North Fork of Island; and the address is:  36225 Main Road, Cutchogue, NY  11935.  Contact number is (631)734-7537.  I also wanted to visit because, Bedell is among one of the oldest vineyards in Long Island.  The vineyard has been owned since 2000 by Michael Lynne, an esteemed art collector and film executive who produced The Lord of the Rings trilogy among many others, and the wines are made by Rich Olsen-Harbich a 30-year veteran.  Rich Olsen-Harbich also wrote the North Fork of Long Island appellation into existence in 1986.

The drive to the vineyard too at least three hours, but the views are stunning, and I absolutely loved it.  As we pulled into the long drive way into the parking lot there is a large cottage house, my sisters and I immediately walk to the tasting room.  The feel inside the tasting room is very chic wine bar feel, I immediately introduced myself to the guy who was behind the bar.  Joe was his name, he did the pouring and I asked all the questions.  Joe was extremely knowledgeable and very friendly.  He explained to us all about Bedell’s history and how they make their wines, and seem to genuinely love his job of one year.  My sister and I agree that he had a lot to do with our overall impression of the vineyard, especially when I asked how much the tasting of the wines were, he said ” it’s on the house.”

According to Joe Bedell grapevines are 30 years old, an age when they started producing  more concentrated fruit and have  deep sub-soil root systems, allowing them to grow and ripen fruit without being as affected by the localized, above-ground weather conditions.

The wines are made from grapes which they grow themselves on three vineyard sites totaling about 88 planted acres:  Bedell Home Vineyard on the Main Road in Cutchogue behind the winery and tasting room; Corey Creek Vineyards on Main Road in Southhold, next to Corey Creek tasting room; and Wells Road Vineyard on Main Road in Peconic.  All three vineyards is a holistic ecological system.   Interview with Rich Olsen-Harbich was interviewed on the 2 of June 2011, and he said when it comes to the vineyards, they try to stay away from late season fungicide applications in order to preserve the wild yeasts which are used for fermentation.  When new fields are planted, liming programs start early.  The soils are replenished twice every ten years.  Water tank are used to irrigate new vines when there’s a dry spell.  Vine spacing range from 9’ by 7’ or 8’ by 3’ for Syrah vines, and the 8’ by 4’ is average spacing.  All grapes are harvest about two tons and acre and the grapes are picked manually by hands and the yeast which is used indigenous, local from long Island.

Bedell Cellar grows a large selection of grapes, which are Merlot, Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc, Malbec, Petit Verdot Riesling Gewürztraminer, Viognier.  The wines are fermented with indigenous yeast and aged in stainless steel tanks, and a mixture of new and older French oak.

I tasted several wines, which includes 2012 First Crush Red and White – First Crush White is an aromatic, dry white blend.  It’s a blend of Chardonnay and Riesling.  Its vibrant aromas of ripe pears and honeysuckle and an incredible acidity the complements flavors of golden delicious apples, stone fruit and lemon zest.  The wine was hand-harvested, whole cluster pressed, fermented with indigenous yeast and aged in stainless steel tanks.  Tasting price range from $2, Glass $8, Bottle $20, and case $360.  I also tasted the 2011, Cabernet Franc – This is a red fruity flavor, fermented with indigenous yeast and aged in older French oak barrels and stainless steel.  On the nose I smelled spices, cloves, flowers and deep in color, like cherries.  Price from $4 – $40, and the case is $480. I then tasted the 2011, Taste White, and the 2011 Malbec, and the 2010 Taste Red.  All of Bedell Cellar wines are dry with alcohol level of 10.5% or higher.  I did not practically like the red wines, but the whites were really good.  I highly recommend Bedell Cellar it’s a must.  2011 Chardonnay was my favorite.

v

ABOUT ME

NICKNAME: Bonny Doon

Born in Los Angeles in 1953 and attended Uncle Charlie’s Summer Camp; excuse me, the prestigious University of California at Santa Cruz where he studied Liberal Arts.

Occupation:  Wine Producer of producing the Great American Pinot Noir

FRIENDS: Russian River Chamber of Commerce, Randall Grahm, Sonoma County Winery

RECENT POST:  “I am a man who dances to a different doon”

ABOUT ME

Merry Edwards made her considerable reputation on distinctive pinot noir wines from California’s Russian River Valley, so it seems right that one of her wines came in first in a blind tasting of California and Oregon pinots. Right behind her, though, came two of the Oregonians: Sokol Blosser, one of Willamette Valley’s pioneer wineries, and ForeFront, a new venture by the Crimson Wine Group. In general, the Oregon pinots were lighter in color, fruitier in the nose and cleaner on the palate than the Californians, which were dark, smelled more like hay and mushrooms and had more powerful fruit

FRIENDS: Russian River Chamber of Commerce, Randall Grahm, Sonoma County Winery

RECENT POST:  “After a decade of wine-making, I am living my dream!

Gustave Niebaum 

Niebaum quickly rose through the ranks, and was captain of his own ship at age 21. He spent the next few years acquiring as many expensive furs as he could. This was an extremely lucrative trade at the time.

In 1868, he arrived in San Francisco with over $600,000 in sea otter pelts from Alaska. He founded the Alaskan Commercial Company and expanded his business ventures with his substantial profits.

In 1880, Captain Gustave Niebaum purchased an 1,110 acre property from William Campbell Watson named Inglenook. Inglenook was one of the few wineries to survive Prohibition without receiving a contract to make wine for the Catholic Church. Niebaum was able to persevere by selling table grapes.

Inglenook’s winery and cellar were completed in 1887. Niebaum was an early advocate of meticulous cleanliness in his winery and insisted on using only the best fruit. His great nephew John Daniel Jr continued his reputation for quality.

Birth : 1842

Died : 1908

Pioneer California Vintner, founded Inglenook Winery in Napa Valley, 1876. Niebaum, a Finnish immigrant, is perhaps the most famous and revered of the early vinters of California’s Napa Valley. His extensive holdings were broken up and sold over the years, but producer and good-liver Francis Ford Coppola recently reunited the original vineyard, forming Niebaum-Coppola Winery

BROTHER TIMOTHY

D.O.B 1910

Lived –Napa Valley

Graduated-St Mary’s College in 1929

Occupation –Science Professor

A WINE THAT EDUCATES

A pioneering winemaker for the Christian Brothers Winery and a longtime fixture on the Napa Valley wine Known for its brandy and table wines, Christian Brothers was one of America’s top-selling brands for decades; the revenues went to support the order’s educational facilities.

Steven Spurrier was born in 1941. He is a British wine expert that organized the Paris wine tasting in 1976 which led to the expansion of wine production in the New World. Spurrier got the idea of a tasting to introduce his French friends to some of the California wines he has been hearing about. This might have been the first time that California and French wines went head to head in a major tasting, with nine experienced French judges: sommeliers, chefs, winemakers and critics. Knowing the French, Spurrier decanted the wines into anonymous bottles, because it was too much to expect them to be fair about another country’s wines. He also wrote many books of wine such as How to Buy Fine Wines, Fine Wine Guide, French Country Wines Guide.

Enjoy your wines with Steven Spurrier!

Located in California, U.S.A.

Established in 1985

Amended in 1999 and 2006

American Viticulture Area (AVA)

AVA Sub-regions

Arroyo Grande Valley AVA

Arroyo Seco AVA

Carmel Valley AVA

Chalone AVA

Cienega Valley AVA

Edna Valley AVA

Hames Valley AVA

Lime Kiln Valley AVA

Livermore Valley AVA

Monterey AVA

Mt. Harlan AVA

Pacheco Pass AVA

Paicines AVA

Paso Robles AVA

San Antonio Valley AVA

San Benito AVA

San Bernabe AVA

San Francisco Bay AVA

San Lucas AVA

San Ysidro District AVA

Santa Clara Valley AVA

Santa Lucia Highlands AVA

Santa Maria Valley AVA

Santa Ynez Valley AVA

Sta. Rita Hills AVA

York Mountain AVA

Counties not required to register with Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau

Contra Costa County

Monterey County

San Luis Obispo County

Santa Barbara County

Santa Clara County

Santa Cruz County

Post

Come visit the Central Cost, see and taste our Pinot Noir today…

86 years old

Born in March 31^st, 1927

Born in Gila River Valley, Yuma, Arizona

Lives in San Luis, Arizona

Founder of the National Farm Workers Association (UFW)

Friends

WHOOPI GOLDBERG

REV. JESSIE JACKSON

DANNY GLOVER

KERRY KENNEDY

MARTIN SHEEN

EDWARD OLMOS

Post

CONTACT ME IF YOU ARE IN NEED OF EQUAL RIGHTS AT WORK AND ARE IN THE CENTRAL COAST AREA, RALLY TODAY AT EDNA VALLEY VINEYARDS