Hudson Valley Spotlight - Millbrook Winery

Millbrook Vineyards and Winery is the Flagship winery of the Hudson Valley. I look back to 1987 when I dropped off travel documents to a former co-worker Lori, who had taken the marketing position at Millbrook and gave me my first Hudson Valley winery tour and today, how Millbrook has grown. I guess it’s good to say that I’ve seen a lot of my ‘babies’ grow in the Hudson Valley. It’s always nice to check in periodically to see what is new and exciting.

The last time I was there they had pulled out a bunch of vines in the front. Last summer they were planted with Chardonnay, Riesling, Gamay Noir and Pinot Noir. This is a first planting of Gamay Noir for them. I just hope that the very cold temperatures that were experienced in January didn’t do any harm to those young vines. It will be at least 3 years before we will see anything produced from these planting, but I can’t wait for the Gamay!

If you haven’t been to Millbrook recently they’ve made some wonderful improvements to the tasting room. They have their Reserve Room which is great for private tastings for small groups. Beginning Memorial Day weekend at 4pm the Reserve Room will be hosting a wine and cheese pairing featuring Spout Creek cheeses. If you are going to be in the area, make reservations for that tasting. I have not met a Sprout Creek cheese I didn’t like, not a Millbrook wine for that matter.

Their Vineyard Taproom and Terrace if a nice cozy room overlooking the vineyard. I’ve sat in there with the fire going relaxing on the couch with a glass of wine. This winter on weekends through March you can hang out by the fire with a glass of wine and a bowl of Chile from the Slammin’ Salmon for $6. Every weekend you’ll find a different chili. Here is the schedule of the upcoming chili weekends.

Just in a couple of weeks is Valentine’s Day an if you don’t have plans yet, consider their Wine & Dessert pairing at 1pm. These desserts (can you see I have a sweet tooth!) all look so good! After the dessert pairing you can head up to the Vineyard Tap room and have a bowl of Green Chili and a glass of wine. Think of it as a backwards lunch.

Every month leading into the summer with their Decadent Delights series. March 17 is Wine & Irish Cheese; April 21 Wine & Popcorn; May 12 Wine & Sushi; and June 16 Wine &; Pate. Back by popular demand is Food Truck Friday. Start the weekend enjoying Millbrook wine and dinner from local food trucks 5pm - 8pm. Saturdays is Jazz at the Grille where you can enjoy dinner and regional jazz acts from 5:30pm to 7:30pm.

If all this eating and drinking has you worried about your waistline, worry no more. You can sign up for the ‘Un-wined’ Wednesday which is an evening yoga series that runs May through September.

Other exciting things to look out for from Millbrook is their 90 point rating for their 2016 Dry Riesling Proprietor’s Special Reserve and 91 point rating for their 2016 Castle Hill Riesling in the March issue of Wine Enthusiast. Congratulations!

Millbrook Vineyards & Winery Partners With The Culinary Institute of America for their 24th Harvest Party

You can't ask for a better pairing, Millbrook Vineyards & Winery with the Culinary Institute of America. They come together to celebrate Millbrook Vineyards & Winery 24th Harvest Party, Saturday, October 18, 2014 at 12 Noon.

Millbrook's harvest party is a long standing event in the Hudson Valley and finally this year I will actually be able to attend.  I am looking so forward to it!  I've heard how wonderful the event is year after year but always seem to have a prior commitment, but not this year.

For this event Millbrook partners with a restaurant, either locally our from New York City. This year is very special as they are partnering with the Culinary Institute of America. If you have not had the opportunity to eat at one of the restaurants at the CIA, this is the chance to experience the wonderful food the restaurants have to offer. Each of the four restaurants will be preparing a dish for the event.

The menu looks incredible! (I will post it below to make your mouth water or make reservations)

In addition this year at the Harvest Party, CIA wine instructors Steven Kolpan and Michael Weiss will be guest speaking.  They are re-releasing their book WineWise and everyone in attendance (one per couple) will receive an autographed copy.

The event price is $135 per person / $125 per person if you are case club members. Reservations are required by Friday, October 10, 2014 and can be made by calling 1-800-662-9463, ext. 17. (http://www.millbrookwine.com/events-a-news/harvest-party)

There is no better way to spend a Saturday than at Millbrook Vineyards & Winery, enjoying the breathtaking views from the vineyard, admiring the beautiful fall foliage, dining on delicious food prepared by the CIA and drinking Millbook's award winning wine.  See you there!

Millbrook Vineyard & Winery's First Estate Riesling

I stopped by Millbrook Winery the other day to pick up some information for the Hudson Valley Wine & Spirits Competition and I got treated to a taste of their first estate Riesling.

Keeping in mind these are very young vines I was looking forward to the taste.

WOW! The aroma coming from the glass, such strong scents of apricot, peach and nectarine got me excited. Serious ripe stone fruit filled my mouth with a hint of honey.  I did detect a bit of sweetness, but wasn't sure if it was because this was a bit fruit forward.  It does have 0.7% residual sugar.  I think the reason it tasted a bit sweet to me (I'm very sensitive to that) is because it lacked on the acidity side.

This wine would pair very well with Asian food with a hint of spice.

It sells in the tasting room for $20.

From Vine to Wine: Millbrook Boot Camp 2014

Registration is open for Millbrook Vineyards & Winery's 2014 From Vine to Wine, wine camp for the adult child in you.  Guaranteed to have fun, learn about wine and make new friends.  

I participated in this program two years ago and had a great time, learned lots!  What they changed up this year is they added up a red wine blending class.  That should to be great!  The information is below and here are some links to video I shot when I was in the class. 

Pruning: http://youtu.be/PSsz6SKdvRo 

Shoot Pulling http://youtu.be/zt-Xl8qvG-c

Bottling http://youtu.be/EKjcM9QhwEg 

To sign up call 845-677-8383 ext 17

From Vine To Wine - Millbrook Boot Camp 2014

Millbrook Winery's Grand Portfolio Tasting

How big a portfolio do you think this Hudson Valley winery has?  What many people don't know is that Millbrook Vineyard and Winery was John Dyson's first winery and then his portfolio grew. Villa Pillo in Tuscany was their next addition and then in 1998 he purchased Williams Selyem.

On Saturday, November 16th you can taste the portfolio of wines all at Millbrook Vineyards & Winery. Yes, you will be able to taste some of the fantastic Pinot Noirs that come from Williams Selyem and a bit of Tuscany as well.

It's a great event and you won't want to miss it.  The event runs from 12pm -5pm. It's both informative and educational.  For more information you can visit their website at http://www.millbrookwine.com/events-a-news

Here's a slide show from a few years back when I attended the event.  Enjoy!

Results: 2013 Hudson Valley Wine & Spirits Competition

Another year, another competition but this one was different.

Every year I contact the same judges.  It's kind of like a cult when you begin to judge a competition.  So many of my judges came back this year.  However, I was faced with a cancellation 4 days from the competition.  So I sent a note out to my judges and Nicholas came through with a judge who is my equivalent in Connecticut. Renee Allan from the Wine Institute of New England. I can't thank her enough for volunteering her time with all of us Saturday morning.

What was different this year?  Let's just say cucumbers.  Remember back in June when I judged the Ultimate Wine Challenge?  We were served cucumbers as palate cleansers. I thought this was amazing as it really worked for me and guess what I have in my garden....so I sliced a few cukes for the competition and I had some amazing results!

This 2013 Hudson Valley Wine & Spirits Competition had more Double Gold and Gold Medals than I have ever seen on the 5 years that I have been organizing it.  I attribute it to the palate cleansing cucumbers! But really, I believe the quality of the wine & spirits produced in the Hudson Valley have increased tremendously and this proves it!

Another element to the competition was the Governor of New York.  He was expected to attended the Hudson Valley Wine Festival and was slated to give out the award for the Best Hudson Valley Wine made with Hudson Valley fruit.  This was all a part of his Taste NY Program.  Well the Governor didn't show up and the award was given out by Lieutenant Governor Robert Duffy  to Millbrook Vineyards & Winery for their Tocai Friulano Proprietor's Special Reserve. So exciting for Hudson Valley!

It was a little stress full for me.  I was given a table at the Governor's reception to display the winning wines. So as we went along a bottle of the Double Gold and Gold Medal wines were being pulled.  I was on the final rounds (best of) where the winning wines are decided by a vote of all 15 judges. During this time I had the festival coordinator calling me to see if the wines are ready, the Governor's office texting me to find out the winning Hudson Valley wine and I was trying to get through the last most important rounds of the competition.  Yes a little stressful but we got through it with great success.

Congratulations to all the wineries.

Results of 2013 Competition

Save 10% on Millbrook Winery's "Winegrowing Boot Camp"

I can say I am a "Harvest 2012" graduate of Millbrook Winery's Winegrowing Boot Camp and if you want to learn about the entire process of growing grapes and making wine, this is the adult camp for you. I participated last season, learned lots and made new friends.

Winegrowing Boot Camp is a six part series that will give you a hands experience in the viticulture and winemaking aspects of taking the grape from birth to bottle.  You will be assigned your own row of Tocai Friulano vines to take care of, talk to, prune, position, leaf pull, harvest and last but not least, bottling the finished product.

The first session begins Saturday, April 13 from 10am to 1pm.  At this session you will learn about pruning the vines.

The next time you meet will be Saturday May 18 from 11am - 3pm and there is some partying at this session.    Now you will inspect your vines and look for bud break.  Then get ready to party with your classmates at the Tocai Release Party.  This is Millbrook's spring event and celebrates the release of the 2012 Tocai. You'll get to taste the vintage the class before you worked on.

The next two sessions happen in June and July as they are critical step in grape growing.  Saturday June 11th you will learn about vertical shoot positioning and Saturday July 13 you will learn about leaf pulling and canopy management.  Yes you have to manage those leaves.  Very crucial in the growing season to make sure the grapes get enough direct and indirect sunlight.

Fall has us at harvest.  Harvest dates can't be fully determined as it depends on the weather and sugar levels of the grapes. At harvest you will be picking your grapes and bringing them to the crush pad.  This is where the art of winemaking comes in.

However, harvest time is also a time of celebration and camp includes a ticket to the Harvest Party.

As winter draws upon us, the wine is settling into their new home it is fermenting and aging.  John will call you all together around mid March to bottle your wine.  Yes, you get to bottle and take home a case of the Tocai.

The price of camp is $795 plus tax.  It's really a great time and learning experience.  There is even shuttle service available from the Poughkeepsie Train Station for an additional $100. (train ticket not included)

Millbrook Winery is offering my blog readers 10% off.  Just call Stacy at 845-677-8383 ext 17 and mention Hudson Valley Wine Goddess.

Just look how much fun we all had in the 2012 Winegrowing Boot Camp class.

Bottling Tocai

Saturday was the last class of Millbrook Vineyard & Winery's Winegrowing Boot Camp.  We took the vines from the cradle to the bottle and Saturday we proudly bottled our season's hard work.

After the grapes were pressed the wine went into neutral oak pungents about 270 gallons and is fermented in those barrels.  The wine went into the barrels after the grapes were pressed until 2 weeks ago.  At that time the barrels were moved outside to cold stabilize the wine.

The pungents came back inside and wine was racked into a tank.  Then put into a portable plastic tank they use for small bottling.  They bottled the first 84 cases that morning before the class came.  Now it's the time to bottle and label the classes wine.

The wine gets pumped out of the tank, goes through two cartridge filters to fine the wine.  Then into the bottle, it gets corked and put into the boxes for sale.

We were all responsible for catching our bottles as they came down the line and packing them in the cases.

As the first graduating class of Millbrook's Winegrowing Boot Camp I can say I learned lots, had a great time participating and made new friends. I am very thankful it was a great growing season!

Passion for Pinot ~ A Millbrook Vineyard & Winery Seminar

Every year Millbrook Vineyards & Winery has a Grand Portfolio Tasting where they pull out all the stops and you get to taste wines from all their holdings throughout the world.  Yes, I said world!  Not only do they own Millbrook Vineyards & Winery in the Hudson Valley, but they own Williams Selyem Winery, Pebble Ridge & Vista Verde Vineyards all in California and Villa Pillo in Italy.

The wines with the Pebble Ridge label are all made by John.  They bring the grapes across country in refrigerated trucks to the Millbrook site where the winemaking begins.

This fall there was the option at Grand Portfolio Tasting to attended the "Passion for Pinot" which I jumped on.  What was really nice for me was to be able to taste the clones straight, without being blended to see what their true characters are.

Millbrook's winemaker John Graziano led the seminar where he spoke about all the different clones, what is grown at Millbrook, the California Heritage clones and what climate change means for the region. Millbrook grows all Dijon Clones - 115, 667 & 777.

A little info on the clones grown at Millbrook and what they bring to the wine:

Clone 115 is a tight cluster grapes with a strong purplish color.  It has notable tannins and a consistent aromatic profile of black cherries, lether and roses, some anise, boysenberries and blueberries.  It is valued for its balance and aromatic profile.

Clone 667 is a big tight compact cluster with strong color, hi-tone and quality aromas.  You'll find dark cherry, raspberry, strawberry, and spice with thick but soft tannins. In cooler climates or sites you will find hints of allspice, nutmeg and clove.

Clone 777 yields small compact clusters with small berries and intense color.  Very aromatic with complex black fruit flavors with hints of leather, tobacco and earthy notes.  It has the tannin structure to age.

We tasted 5 clones - Canada, Swan, Clone A, 667 and a mix of clones. Below are my short observations of the tasting.

Canada (A French clone" imported via Canada and Millbrook Winery.  Planted at John Dyson's vineyards in the Russian River Valley and Vista Verde in the Central Coast)- Aromas of sour cherry and was tart
Swan (propagated by Joseph Swan in the Russian River Valley) - nose of chocolate, cocoa.  Tasted like unsweetened chocolate
Clone A - a little pine on the nose with raspberry and red berry.  Tasted like tart raspberry juice
Clone 667 - aromas of chocolate covered cherries and raspberry.  Palate was soft and full of raspberry with a chocolate finish.
Clone Mix I thought was tasteless.

Now it was time to taste the finish products.

2011 Millbrook NYS Pinot Noir- Made with Pommard, 115,667,777.  I found an earthy nose, with bright raspberry and some tea.   The palate was a bit acidic with raspberry and red fruit flavors and a hint of coffee on the finish.
2010 Millbrook Proprietor's Special Reserve NYS Pinot Noir - Blend of Pommard, 1l5, 667,777.Aromas of mushroom and cran-raspberry leads to a palate of cranberry and a hint of mushroom.
2010 Millbrook Block Five East, Hudson River Region Pinot Noir -Blend of 1l15, 667,777 all from the Millbrook Vineyards.  A bit of mushroom and earth on the nose with a silky, sexy palate showing flavors of cran-raspberry and red fruits.
2010 Pebble Ridge Central Coast, CA Pinot Noir - Blended with clones Bruce, Pommard, Calera, 115, 667.  I found this wine woody with red fruit.  Very fruit driven.
2010 Millbrook Grand Reserve Pinot Noir, Central Coast, CA- Blended with Bruce, Pommard, Calera, 1l5 & 667 clones - Aromas of earth, raspberry and blackberry filled the glass.  The palate was filled with blackberry and black raspberry and a tart raspberry finish
2009 Williams Selyem Central Coast Pinot Noir - A blend of Pommard, Calera, Canada, 115, 777,828,943 clones.  Aromas of toasty oak, soft delicate red fruit, blackberry and some spice filled the glass.  The palate is intense with blackberry, cranberry and cherry with some wet tobacco notes on the finish.

When the class was over it was time to enter the Grand Portfolio Tasting where of course I got to taste a selection of Williams Selyem wines. I met some really nice people hanging at this table and was there for quite a while savoring the wine and chatting.

As most things are at Millbrook, it was a very well done event on a beautiful fall day.  Below you will find video from the Pinot Seminar.  Enjoy.

Passion for Pinotl - Part 1"The Clones"

Almost Tocai Harvest Time

I went to check on my grapes Tuesday.  I haven't been there in a while due to the lousy weather.  Boy have they progressed!  Tuesday I tasted the grapes and boy are they sweet and the seeds are brown.  It's almost time!

(please no comments on the manicure I need)

While I was there I thought Summer and I would check on the other grapes in the vineyard.  We went over and tasted the Cab Franc.  They still have a way to go.  Sugars are not up there yet.  

The it was off to the Chardonnay.  They were sweet and on their way.  Mid way through you could tell the sugar level wasn't there, it got a bit tart.

To oak or NOT to oak Tocai

Millbrook Vineyards & Winery  produced two kinds of Tocai this year.  I reviewed the regular, steel fermented Tocai a few weeks ago.  I really like Tocai and it's bright crispness and truthfully was afraid that the oak would take a way from the expression and characteristics of the grape. I was especially skeptical when David mentioned to me he was questioning the new vintage of the Lollipop Hill Tocai.

I first tasted the wine at their Tocai release party where I purchased a bottle to take home and give it a serious taste.

Millbrook winemaker John Graziano sampling the Lollipop Hill Tocai from oak puncheons 

The Tocai was aged in somewhat neutral oak puncheons as seen above. Aromas of soft pear, limestone and hints of minerality and a little honeysuckle filled the glass.  The palate had a tinge of melted butter towards mid taste.  Lime zest was very strong on the palate and white grapefruit on the finish.

The oak puncheons did tone down the acidity of the wine.  Did it change the character and expression of the grape?  Yes, it mellowed it.  Think of their regular Tocai as fun and wild, and the Lollipop Tocai a serious relaxing wine.

Do i think they should oak the Tocai.  I think there is a place for it.  Quite honestly, it was hard to decide which one I liked best, because they each have their own distinct personalities. 

The price...I went into the tasting room and grabbed 2 bottles of each of their Tocai's without even looking at the prices. (I know, what was I thinking) The Lollipop Hill Tocai was $32 which I think is a bit on the expensive side.  Had I looked at the price, would have probably only purchased one. 

Sneaking off to Peak at my Tocai

After being gone for nearly two weeks my Tocai grapes are getting pretty sweet! I went to visit them on Wednesday having just been back from the Wine Bloggers Conference and found fencing around them.  You what that means...?  It means they are beginning to ripen to where the birds, deer and turkeys think you grew them for their consumption.  NOT!  Vineyards begin to protect their grapes by fencing and netting until it's time to harvest.

Being that I was actually at Millbrook Vineyards for a Dutchess County Chamber of Commerce "After Hours" event, I was in a dress and heels but my commitment to follow my vines got the better of me.  I changed into a pair of sneakers (yes I was very fashionable with a nice black dress on and running sneakers) and asked Chrystal (aka Babysitter) to hike up the hill with me. (10 points for Chrystal who had on high heels) We picked the perfect time because everyone was under the tent to listen to Charlie the head of the Chamber speak and nobody could watch me up on the hill. Charlie had their undivided attention.

Once up the hill I had to figure out how I was going to get under the fencing and in a dress.  Chrystal pulled up a part of the fence and I crawled under (real lady like) so I can snap pictures of my grapes and crawled out.  They are looking pretty good.  Just a matter of time and the cooperation of the weather before they are harvested.

We got back down the hill just as the talks were ending.  Sat at one of the picnic tables as if we were there the entire time.  Only Ken from Freedom Financial caught onto where I had gone...I guess it was the sneakers.

Millbrook Vineyard & Winery's 2011 Tocai Friulano

This year Millbrook made two Tocai's one steel fermented and the other went into oak puncheons.  More on the oak puncheons later when we review that wine.  For now this is about the 2011 Proprietor's Special Reserve Tocai you have become accustomed to from Millbrook.

A nice crisp wine with aromas of pear and red apple.  Minerality fills the palate with lemon and grapefruit and hints of pear.  There is a little tartness to the finish along with a hint of spice.

Priced at $20, this wine would go will with your romantic summer picnic.

Grapes get Sunburn Too - Got Sunscreen?

Tocai 7/24/12

When I went to check on my grapes a few weeks back, I noticed an imperfection.  OK, nobody is perfect, and neither are grapes, but I wondered about disease or fungi.

A quick email to John Grazziano the winemaker at Millbrook informed me the berries in question are from heat stress / sunburn.  In a week or so they will dry up without any impact on the other berries.  He said "this happens every few years in our hot, good vintages."  (So I guess that is a prelude of what is to come from the 2012 vintage providing the weather cooperates the next two months)

Tocai 7/31/12

Just like John said, the berries did dry up within a week.


I did some research on grapes and sunburn.  I found that some grapes are susceptible to high light, high temperature sunburn. When this happens, the pigment changes on the skin that results in yellow, bronze or brown lesions, often associated with a loss of chlorophyll.

Like everything else, I did find a sunscreen for grapes. But is it really necessary to spray chemicals to keep the canopy cooler?

Behind the Vines During Verticle Shoot Positioning

I explained to you last week what vertical shoot positioning was, and what was expected of us in the field.  Here's us in action and what really happened.

The campers move out to the field to work on their vines.  Once we arrive on Lollipop Hill, Mr. David Bova takes over for his one minutes of lime light, playing proud vineyard manager.  Well, he is after all General Manager, so he must know something.

Not to worry, John comes out to save the campers from David with detailed show and tell on what we have to do the right way.


Now off to see the Chardonnay flowering.

Vertical Shoot Removal & Shoot Positioning

Another session in WineGrowing Bootcamp at Millbrook Vineyards taught us about vertical shoot removal and shoot positioning.  Our goal is to achieve a balanced vine of just the right amount of leaves to fully ripen the grapes.

What was interesting is that Tocai produces sterile shoots.  Shoots that have no fruit on it.  The first thing to do when looking at your vines is to pull off the sterile shoots.    A perfect vine will have 20 shoots with fruit, 10 on each side.  (You might have to go to a perfect world to find the perfect vine :)

Once we get rid of the sterile shoots we need to look around the base. We had to pick the three strongest shoots and pull the rest.  These renewal shoots are what we will use next year.

Lastly we had to clean up the overlaps where to make sure all shoots were happy and had enough space.

Flowering Chardonnay

We then walked over to the Chardonnay vines to see them flowering. During a typical year, Chardonnay doesn't usually begin to flower until around June 14.  This is really early, but considering we had bud break mid April, timing is right.

Cablevision Special on Hudson Valley Wineries with Hudson Valley Wine Goddess

Last month I spent the day with Kimberly Hart from Cablevision to produce a special on Hudson Valley Wineries that aired on July 4, 2012. In this video I take you to Whitecliff Vineyard & Winery where we learn about their new geo-thermal winery, Millbrook Vineyards & Winery and we learn about the flagship winery of the Hudson Valley and Benmarl Winery, the oldest vineyard in the United States. Follow me on my journey through the Hudson Valley.
 

Progress of my Tocai

I stopped by Millbrook Vineyards & Winery on Tuesday to check on my Tocai Friulano.  Look at the growth of the grapes and the vines.

Summer on the watch

The view from the row

Winegrowing Bootcamp

On May 19th we had another session of Winegrowing Bootcamp that was followed by Millbrook Vineyards & Winery's Tocai Release Party.  So after some hard work we got to enjoy some food and wine. (I hope I didn't get rid of to many shoots)

Here is what we covered this week at Winegrowing Bootcamp.

5th Annual Tocai Friulano New Release Party at Millbrook Winery

It's Spring and it's time to celebrate all things Italian with the release of Millbrook Vineyard & Winery's 2011 Tocai Friulano and their California grown Sangiovese. Join them at their 5th Annual Tocai Friulano New Release Party  Saturday, May 19 from 12pm - 3pm for some vino, Italian food and a good time!

Cosimo's in Poughkeepsie is catering this wonderful event that begins with an Antipasto Station then a buffet lunch featuring Tumeric Stained Bowtie Pasta with Smoked Tomatoes, Basil and Hand Pulled Mozzarella, Fennel & Black Pepper Grilled Drumsticks, Slow Roasted Pork Loin and much more (menu above)

This year Millbrook produced two Tocai's. One is the 2011 Proprietor's Special Reserve and the other is the 2011 Lollipop Hill Tocai.  What's the difference - you be the judge.  All the Tocai Friulano is Estate Grown!

After lunch, Winemaker, John Graziano takes everyone for a walk in the vineyard and gives you a history of Millbrook and some education on grape growing in the Hudson Valley.



Ticket for this event are $55 per person plus tax.  To make reservations call 845.677.8383 ext. 17.

I'll see you there!