Expansion project completed at Millbrook Vineyards

From top: Tasting Room,
Reserve Tasting Room, Taproom

Construction on an addition to the main building at Millbrook Vineyards & Winery was completed in time for a soft opening over the Labor Day weekend. Here is a rundown of the changes:

• The Tasting Room now has a more open concept that will allow for more tasting sessions and more accommodations for group events of various sizes.

• The Reserve Tasting Room is offering in-depth explorations of five of Millbrook's premier wine selections from the upper tier of its portfolio, including estate and vineyard designates, in an upscale private room with dark wood contrasting with bright Corian counters.

• The new Vineyard Taproom & Terrace allows visitors to stay away from the bustle of the Tasting Room while enjoying a glass of wine and views of the estate, in a space featuring a fireplace, couches, high top tables, and a connecting outdoor terrace.

Merrill Malouf has been hired as the new tasting room director. She is a graduate of the Fashion Institute of Technology with a degree in management and retail merchandising, and was a member of the inaugural class of the Culinary Institute of America’s Accelerated Wine and Beverage Program in California. She then worked in several California wineries before returning to the Hudson Valley.

Millbrook has several autumn events on the schedule: wine and cheese tastings with Tim Gonzales on Saturday, September 17 and October 1; the 26th annual Harvest Party featuring chef Peter Kelly of Xavier's, Restaurant X, Freelance Café, and Xavier's X20 on Saturday, October 22, and the 2016 Grand Portfolio Wine Tasting on Saturday, December 3.

Millbrook is located at 26 Wing Road in Millbrook, Dutchess County. Phone: (845) 677-8383.

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