It’s fitting that Millbrook Vineyards & Winery is set to unveil their first-ever bottle of sparkling wine this year: after 40 years of making wine in the Empire State, it is time for a huge celebration!
Recognizing milestones is as ancient as human culture itself, and an essential way to celebrate achievements and energize individuals or communities for the future.
Today, we are virtually toasting the team at Millbrook Vineyards & Winery for their historic achievement making critically acclaimed vitis vinifera wine for four decades in the Hudson Valley.
A 40th anniversary is generally known (thank you, Emily Post) as the Ruby Anniversary, a symbol of the enduring passion and devotion of a relationship that has experienced many ups and downs over four decades.
For David Bova, longtime vice president and general manager and co-founder of the winery, who has been with Millbrook for all 40 vintages, it’s clear that both passion and devotion have defined his dedication to the winery.
A Winery Born in a Garage
“It started as a hobby, but John [Dyson] has a knack for finding ways to make businesses successful,” Bova explains of Millbrook native John Dyson, who essentially founded Millbrook Winery out of his garage, with an initial part-time assist from Bova.
Dyson’s love of wine was born in college, when he was studying at Cornell University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Dyson earned his BS in 1965 and went on to hold key government positions in New York as Commissioner of Agriculture and Markets and Chairman of the New York Power Authority and Commissioner of Commerce, where he spearheaded the legendary “I Love New York” tourism campaign.
“When John was working as a Commissioner of Agriculture, he saw dairy farms going out of business across the state in the late 1970s and early 1980s,” Bova recalls, explaining that Dyson was alarmed at what he saw. “He saw a dairy farm in bankruptcy, and he decided to buy it in 1982 and keep it in agriculture.”
He planted several acres of vinifera, including Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Cabernet Sauvignon on the 130-acre farm in 1983, taking advantage of southwest-facing slopes and gravelly soil.
Meanwhile, Dyson had already been experimenting as a garagiste with vinifera grapes he had planted on his father’s farm in the late 1970s. As both a serious wine lover and as his role as Commissioner of Agriculture, Dyson had become friendly with Dr. Konstantin Frank, the legendary founder of Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery in the Finger Lakes. Dr. Frank was the first to plant vinifera vines in the Finger Lakes in 1958, and he encouraged Dyson to do the same.
“Dr. Frank talked him into planting vinifera grapes in the Hudson Valley, which no one was growing at the time,” Bova recalls. “He even loaned John his plow for the first planting, and he bought plants from Hermann Weimer.”
Bova first got involved in the winery casually. Dyson’s wife, Kathe, who is also co-owner of the winery, is Bova’s sister.
“I’d come up from the city where I worked as an ad man to hang out with them, and my nieces,” Bova recalls. “At the time, I was in my 20s, so I ended up helping him do a lot of work in the vineyard.”
Because it takes time for vineyards to grow usable fruit, Millbrook’s first vintage wasn’t until 1985, and by then, the wine bug had infected Bova, and there was little hope for a recovery. He came on board full-time in 1986. By then, Millbrook had John Graziano on board as their master winemaker, and the team had decided to expand their plantings to 30 acres which include Tocai Friulano and Cabernet Franc.
Given the auspicious mentors, perhaps Millbrook’s eventual success isn’t a shock—but it was far from overnight.
“We were officially profitable after 20 years,” Bova says. “We worked really hard in New York, and actually expanded to California as well, where we grow 900 acres of grapes and sell to wineries like Robert Mondavi and Joel Gott.”
But even before Millbrook was profitable, Bova says the team “knew they had made it.”
“We had a serious following, our wines appeared on key wine lists around New York, we had Winebow as our distributor in New York City, and we always had crowds on the weekends,” Bova says. “The wine business may be a business, but you have to love it, and it has to be a part of your life.”
Those words have never been truer than they are now, when more and more wineries report flagging sales. But Bova is undeterred and confident. In addition to doubling down on interactive events at the winery such as live music, taproom takeovers, craft workshops (charcuterie boards, candle-making) and food-focused fun (lobster and chardonnay, rotating food trucks), Millbrook is pushing forward with new wine initiatives.
“We lean into the classics,” Bova says. “I love our Chardonnay, sourced from fruit from our estate, the Finger Lakes, and Long Island. I love our Pinot Noir, sourced from our estate and Long Island. Those are two top sellers, and showcase a tapestry of New York fruit every vintage. But we’re also excited about other initiatives.”
New Frontiers
Graziano retired as winemaker a few years ago, and when Millbrook hired Ian Beaurup, who worked at wineries across California, Oregon and New Zealand, most recently as associate winemaker at Santa Rosa’s Balletto Vineyards, he brought new ideas that Millbrook has largely embraced, while staying true to their roots, Bova says.
“We are excited to release our first sparkling wine this year,” Bova says.
Millbrook also, by happenstance, stumbled into a winemaking partnership with New York Yankees legend and jazz music icon Bernie Williams.
“He showed up at the winery one day for a jazz concert,” Bova explains. “He rode up on his motorcycle, and he is so cool, but also so laid back. Not what you would expect given what a legend he is.”
Bova introduced himself and asked Williams if he’d consider doing a show there. One thing led to many others, and now Williams not only performs there with his Band of Friends on occasion, he has collaborated with Millbrook on a line of successful wines, now in its fourth vintage. The Bernie Williams line includes blends and a Pinot Noir.
“He has really embraced the art of winemaking,” Bova says. “It’s a real collaboration between Bernie and Ian. And his daughter, Beatriz Williams, a talented artist, creates a new piece of artwork every year for the label. He loves working with his daughter. And also loves that it supports a good cause.”
This year, Millbrook will welcome Williams back to the Hudson Valley for the fourth annual summer jazz concert on Saturday, June 28, 2025. The event will feature Williams and his Band of Friends performing against the scenic backdrop of Millbrook’s vineyard, with food trucks and lawn seating opening at 4 PM and the concert beginning at 6 PM. In a shared commitment to supporting the arts, $10 from every ticket sold—as well as a portion of wine sales that evening—will benefit Dutchess Community College’s Academy of Music, an initiative that aligns with Williams’ longstanding advocacy for music education.
Millbrook has evolved considerably in 40 years. To toast to their next 40, the winery will throw an epic Harvest Celebration on Saturday, October 18, 2025. Hope to see you there!
