Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Millbrook Vineyards and Winery

There are so many great activities in New York just waiting to be taken advantage of. I only have enough money for one real vacation a year; or I limit myself to one real vacation a year so that I don’t empty out my savings account (I need to win the lottery). So in order to trick myself into feeling like I went on more than one vacation, I try to find one-day getaways and other activities to partake in. In New York, there are plenty, we just have to know where to find them.

This weekend I went on a wine tour at Millbrook Vineyards and Winery.


For $38 (A deal emailed to me by Daily Candy) I had the pleasure of participating in a wine tasting day trip in the Hudson Valley. This $38 purchase included shuttle service from the Poughkeepsie train station to the winery, lunch, a glass of wine (your choice of red or white), an informational tour of the winery and the wine tasting.

I LOVE food so they won me over with the lunch. The lunch entrée options were as follows:
  • Angus Beef Burger
  • Grilled Chicken Sandwich
  • Spicy Garden Burger
  • Ahi Tuna Sandwich
I had the Angus Beef Burger. Being that the burger was included in the purchase of my ticket, the burger didn’t taste exactly how I expected. THIS Angus burger had to be one of the best burgers I have ever tasted! I wasn’t even hungry and I gobbled it up. I was supposed to have salad with the burger, but I put my salad inside of my burger and ate it all together. Everything was that good!

We tasted six Millbrook wines; three reds and three whites. I was more interested in tasting the wine than reading about what was in the wine, but here they are:


Hunts Country Red: A dynamic blend gives this wine jammy dark fruit aromas of blackberry and plum. The medium weight mouth-feel is characterized with smooth yet intense flavors of black raspberry and plum with supple tannins.

2010 California Sangiovese: This Sangiovese displays a rich, ripe fruitiness with flavors of cherry and plum and hints of spice and oak. Its smooth, soft tannins make for a wine that is delicious now and will continue to develop.

2010 Pinot Noir: Aged for 9 months is French oak this burgundian red offers deep aromas of dark berry fruits, black currants and violets with concentrated flavors of black cherry and supple, ripe tannins

2010 Tocai Friulano: Inviting aromas of lemon, tangerine /mandarin orange and pear/custard are reflected in the mouth-filling flavors. A well-balanced acidity is complemented with a supple mouth-feel and palate cleansing finish.

2009 Chardonnay Proprietor's Special Reserve: A rich, toastiness on the nose leads to flavors of soft citrus, pineapple and interesting notes of honeyed ginger and Asian spices. The well-balanced acidity makes this wine an especially good partner for rich foods.

2009 Chardonnay: Half barrel fermentation and full malolactic fermentation produced this medium-bodied Chardonnay with aromas of lemon custard, Fuji apple and pear. Soft, round flavors with hints of vanilla and papaya carry through with a vibrant acidity on the finish.

After the tasting we were served Red Wine biscuits seasoned with black pepper, White Wine biscuits seasoned with cayenne pepper and chunks of bread served with the best olive oil I have ever tasted.

The biscuits were $8.00 and the 5ml bottle of olive oil was $30.00. I decided that I could get one or the other not both. So I went the thrifty way and bought the White Wine Biscuits (If you can call spending $8.00 on a pack of biscuits being thrifty). I just couldn’t leave the biscuits there. I love shortbread and these biscuits were like shortbread biscuits with a kick.

I can’t stop thinking about the olive oil, but this is America and if I really want a good olive oil, I’m sure I can find a good olive oil closer to home. Okay, enough about the olive oil.

I also purchased the 2009 Chardonnay and the 2010 California Sangiovese. (AND they gave us discounts on our purchases!).

My only con about the tour was that I felt like it was too short. It was a beautiful day and there were acres of greenery that I wanted to explore, but didn’t have enough time because I wasn’t in charge of my own transportation. So if you want to take your time at the winery, take advantage of a car service. Either way, I had a fantastic time!


If you are a wine lover or are looking to get out of the city for the day, visit Millbrook Vineyards and Winery. With fall approaching, this is the perfect outing for a beautiful display of fall foliage.

Millbrook Vineyards & Winery: http://www.millbrookwine.com/index.php

~Louise C.
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