MILLBROOK VINEYARDS & WINERY

MILLBROOK VINEYARDS & WINERY is pleased to be celebrating our 25th Anniversary this year. Although our “25th Anniversary” wines will not be available until next year, we are looking forward to marking this milestone throughout the upcoming months.

Millbrook Vineyards & Winery was founded in 1981 by John S. Dyson, former Deputy Mayor for Economic Development in New York City, as well as former New York State Commissioner of Commerce and Agriculture. It was the first vineyard in the Hudson River Region of New York dedicated exclusively to the production of vinifera grapes. Dyson started growing grapes by planting an experimental acre of vinifera grapes at his family farm in Millbrook. Those initial plantings of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon were quite successful. Pleased with those results, Dyson decided to expand his commitment to the production of high-quality New York wines. In 1979, he purchased a former dairy farm and converted the 1940s-era barn into an efficiently designed modern winery.

Of the estate’s 130 acres, 30 are now planted with grapes. Approximately half of the vineyard is planted with Chardonnay, and the remainder consists of Tocai Friulano, Pinot Noir, and Cabernet Franc. Some of Millbrook’s most highly regarded wines include the New York State appellation and the Proprietor’s Special Reserve versions of Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, and Pinot Noir. Millbrook also currently produces two vineyard designate wines in very limited quantities – our Block Two West Chardonnay and Block Five East Pinot Noir.

Millbrook Winery’s first commercial vintage was in 1985 and today it produces over 12,000 cases of wine a year. The winery has earned recognition in such prestigious publications as The Wine Spectator, The New York Times, The New York Daily News, Hudson Valley Magazine, Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, Hugh Johnson’s Pocket Encyclopedia of Wine, and Bon Appetit.

Millbrook Winery is located in a renovated Dutch hip dairy barn that has a magnificent view of the vineyards, Catskill Mountains, and rolling hills of Dutchess County. Essential to the Millbrook Wine Experience is an informative and enriching guided tour of the winery, which will leave you with an insider’s view of the entire winemaking process, from the careful tending of the vineyards to the winemaker’s art of vinification. Each tour is capped off with a complete and informative tasting of current vintage Millbrook wines.

Hudson River Region, Estate Bottled. It will still be several months before this next vintage is released but our prior vintage was awarded Best Wine of the Hudson Valley in the Hudson Valley Wine Competition last spring, and was selected again as Best Red Wine of the Hudson Valley by the New York Cork Report 2009 Wines of the Year. (66 cases)

Tocai Friulano Proprietor’s Special Reserve – Hudson River Region, Estate Bottled. Our first vintage of this wine was so well received last year (we essentially sold out the weekend it was released) that we have doubled production for the upcoming spring release. (48 cases)