Dutchess County Wine Trail

While the Dutchess Country wine trail only has a few wineries on it and one of them (Clinton Vineyards) is closed and under new ownership the two that are open make up for the lack of quantity with quality. The drive to the Milea Winery is a very scenic drive from Kingston.

The windy road takes you through some rural country with lots of farms. It’s probably a 45 minute drive and I would sure hate to drive that road in the winter! It would be a spectacular drive in the fall with the trees changing.

Milea Estate Vineyard

Address: 450 Hollow Rd, Staatsburg, NY 12580
Website: https://mileaestatevineyard.com
Phone: (845) 266-0384
Tasting Hours: Wed, Thu & Sun: 12-5pm, Fri & Sat 12-7pm

The Milea Estate is well worth visiting even if you are not a wine drinker. The grounds are beautiful with the perfectly manicured vineyards set against the mountains in the background is amazing. In the fall it would be out of this world, I may need to come back in October!

There is a events building behind the tasting rooms that they just built for weddings, birthdays and company events. It was fairly quiet on a Friday afternoon but that would change rapidly and there were no seats to be had in an hour.

I sat at the the bar and browsed through the wine menu and settled on three reds and a sparkling white. The wine tasting list has a variety with several reds and a few whites but their entire menu of wines is available if you ask. I thoroughly enjoyed the Farmhouse Cabernet Franc and the Farmhouse BDX Red Blend.

Milea is committed to organic, sustainable farming techniques for their grapes. I appreciate the effort but they do source some grapes from the Finger Lakes region and Long Island. They have a limited menu of snacks as you would expect with such selections as a cheese plate and a charcuterie board.

While I didn’t try any food, it looked quite delish what I did see. There is an outside deck that is complete with a firepit and Adirondack chairs with views of the vineyard and mountains. Unfortunately it was quite warm that day and had to settle for the inside with A/C.

What You Should Know:

• Grapes Sourced From: Organic Estate and Long Island
• Open: 2015
• Tours Available: Pre-arranged only
• Live Music: Yes
• Events: Yes
• Food Available: Light snacks
• Pet Friendly: Yes, outside
• Other Drinks: No
• Wine Club: Yes
• Tasting Cost: $16 for 4 samples

Millbrook Vineyards & Winery

Address: 26 Wing Rd, Millbrook, NY 12545
Website: https://www.millbrookwine.com/
Phone: (845) 677-8383
Tasting Hours: Monday–Thursday 12:00pm–5:00pm, Friday-Sunday 12:00pm–6:00pm

Millbrook Winery was founded on the grounds of an old dairy farm and they keep the farmhouse character as you will see with the main building. It’s quite large and there is an attic area that is open on weekends. I was there on a Friday afternoon so it wasn’t open but you can walk around and there is artwork for sale from local artists.

The grounds of the estate is extensive and there was a band playing along with a few food trucks. They have quite a few picnic tables with umbrellas and it was quite the party atmosphere!

Millbrook is quite a bit larger than Milea and a little more formal. You pay at the cashier and arrange a time for your tasting. Luckily it wasn’t too crowded with people wanting to do a tasting and I only had to wait 10 minutes. Their is a bar setup area where Bruce gave us the background on the Millbrook Winery.

The tasting consists or six samples, three whites and three reds. I had never heard of a Pinot Blanc and was interested in trying it even though I am not a big fan of white wines. Bruce gave us some information on each wine and the Pinot Noir and the Cabernet Franc were my two favorites.

After the tasting, checking out the gifts available was a must do. There were several things I would have been interested in but I don’t have any room in my luggage for anything else. The band playing was quite good and decided to relax in an Adirondack chair for a bit and get a bite to eat before the trek back to Kingston.

What You Should Know:

• Grapes Sourced From: Estate, California and Tuscany Italy
• Open: 1998
• Tours Available: Pre-arranged on Saturdays and Sundays
• Live Music: Yes
• Events: Yes
• Food Available: Light snacks & food trucks
• Pet Friendly: Yes, outside
• Other Drinks: Yes
• Wine Club: Yes
• Tasting Cost: $16 for 4 samples

Richard Remick

Richard is owner and the chief editor of Choice Wineries. He contributes expert content relating to wine making and winery reviews.

After graduating from the DeVry Institute of Technology, he worked in IT for over 20 years before deciding to escape the office and share his passion for wine.

With a passion for the great outdoors, Richard spends a lot of time in Colorado. There he enjoys skiing, snowboarding, mountain biking, cycling, hiking, and of course visiting wineries.

His outdoor adventures are not confined to the continental US. Richard is an avid traveler who flies up to 10 times a year and has visited 18 countries.

Because of his wealth of knowledge and experience, Richard has been invited to contribute articles to many websites, such as Florida Rambler, and has been profiled on travel websites such as JohnnyJet.