John Dyson's interest in wine goes way back to his days at Cornell's College of Agriculture when, never keen on beer, he bought a jug of wine to impress a date at his fraternity’s party. This led to a lifelong interest in wines and his enrollment in a wine course at Cornell's famed hotel school.

John met Kathe in Washington, DC while they were both working there. Their first investment in the wine world began in 1979 in John's hometown of Millbrook, NY as they began to convert an old dairy farm into Millbrook Vineyards & Winery. He initiated viticultural experiments using several varieties, rootstocks and trellising techniques, and proved that world-class vinifera wines could be produced in the Hudson River Valley. Millbrook’s first commercial vintage was produced in 1985, and the 2005 vintage wines represent our 20th anniversary.

Called "the Hudson Valley's flagship winery" by The New York Times and "a great place to visit" by The Wall Street Journal, we are conveniently located in the magnificent Hudson River Valley just 1.5 hours from both New York City and Albany. It is glorious to visit any time of year.

Our world-class wines have won acclaim from critics and consumers alike, and they compare favorably with top wines from California and France. Millbrook is considered one of the top wineries not only of the Hudson River Valley but all of New York State and indeed the eastern seaboard. Fifty of the vineyards' 130 acres are planted, half in Chardonnay. The rest is in Gamay Noir, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Tocai Friulano, as well as some rare varietals that are well suited to Millbrook's microclimate. Our winemaker, John Graziano, has been crafting these high quality wines for Millbrook since 1985. He has been the only winemaker at Millbrook since its establishment. Currently, John is producing approximately 14,000 cases of wine annually from fruit across New York and California.