Millbrook Vineyards & Winery

Located an hour and a half north of New York City and the same distance south from Albany, Millbrook Vineyards & Winery has established itself as one of the best wineries in New York's Hudson River Region.

Winemaker John Graziano is the only winemaker Millbrook has ever had and he’s been making some of the region's most acclaimed wines since the winery's first releases in 1985.

Currently, 30 of the estate's 130 acres are under vine: 13 acres of Chardonnay, 5 acres of Pinot Noir, 7 acres of Cabernet Franc and 5 acres of Tocai Friulano. In addition to estate offerings, Millbrook produces and bottles Chenin Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Zinfandel and Gewurztraminer from grapes grown in owners John and Kathe Dyson's Central Coast California vineyard. The Dyson's also own a small vineyard in Tuscany and purchased Sonoma's Williams Selyem Winery in 1998.

Tocai Friulano, not to be confused with Tokay from Alsace or Tokaji from Hungary, is a grape native to the Friuli region in north eastern Italy. Graziano's 2005 bottling is a light lemon yellow in the glass with floral, melony aromas and hints of minerals and kiwi fruit. Clean, medium bodied and well balanced, this lovely white offfers just-ripe honeydew melon and kiwi flavors with subtle acidity. Serve it with charcuterie or antipasto.

Reviewed August 28, 2006 by Lenn Thompson.