Millbrook winery adapts to criticism over outside food policy changes

MILLBROOK — Millbrook Vineyards and Winery is nearing three months since a change to public access policies restricted outside food and drink and required tickets for private tables.

Ian Bearup, Millbrook’s head winemaker, said the policy has faced some criticism.

“The response has been fantastic from new customers and mixed from long-time customers,” Bearup said. But overall, he said it’s been a boon for the business. “With our new policies, we’ve been able to squash a lot of the problems we’d been having in the past with overconsumption,” Bearup said, “and give our customers a better, wine-focused experience.”

The new rules come at a moment of larger change at Millbrook winery — and the industry at large. Though wine sales hit an all-time high of $115 billion in 2025, overall alcohol sales are steadily slumping. Tariffs, inflation, and fuel prices have raised prices across the board. In the last decade, wildfire smoke has regularly damaged grapes in California, most significantly in 2020.

Millbrook Vineyards is one of several wineries owned by Millbrook native John Dyson and his family. In 2021, the Dysons sold a minority stake in their Northern California property, Williams Selyem Winery.

Three years later, Dyson doubled down and sold a majority stake of Williams Selyem to the same buyer — the Burgundy, France, -based Domaine Faiveley. The Faiveley family is in its seventh generation of operation, and the sale allowed Dyson to focus on renovating his hometown winery. Renovations to Millbrook were finished in spring 2026.

The changes are both physical and administrative. An adults-only patio is on the right, peeking between a wall of cypress 20 feet high. Serene private tables and Adirondack chairs await behind the green curtain, available for $30 per table.

The upstairs tap room has been remodeled and renamed. It’s The Overlook now, and connects to the rustic barn, with its vaulted ceilings that define the winery from afar.

Midway through summer, the changes are in full effect. On a recent Saturday, families dotted the open seating area. Most of the lawn area is covered by a grid of picnic tables, but there’s still room for play — children romped in an adjacent sunflower field, and games of cornhole unfolded by the main building.

Food tents are in the corners. Valia’s Wood Fire offered Neapolitan pizzas for $15 to $20, while Oyster Party shucked their shellfish for $3 apiece. Previous weekends have included chicken from La Polla, meats from the BBQ Crew, and comfort food from Flavor Bandits.

But while Bearup is enthusiastic about the changes, he says they’ve been receptive to criticism — and adjusted accordingly. “After listening and sharing thoughts back and forth, we’re loosening our outside food policy in our picnic areas,” Bearup said. “We understand we can’t provide everything for everyone, so we’re allowing outside picnic-style food to be brought to our outdoor seating areas.”

The adults section was mostly full on a recent Saturday afternoon. A staff member watched the entrance as a fountain bubbled peacefully on an adjoining lake, far beyond a child’s grasp.

Music by Mary Ann Palermo and her band started at 5:30, and tickets were mandatory for any watchers on the lawn. Guests who didn’t want to pay the $15 made their way to the parking lot. Earlier this summer, Bernie Williams performed with his Band of Friends for a sold-out crowd. “New event spaces, new food options, and new release wines are driving customers in,” Bearup said. “Revenue has been great given the current state of the wine industry. It’s been a wonderful summer.”

Bearup says Millbrook winery will continue to adjust their policies to draw back some of the long-time customer base they’ve lost. “We’ve seen a drop in locals, and we want to address that problem head on,” he said. “Millbrook Winery is built for everyone: we don’t require reservations, we haven’t doubled our prices, we still allow children and pets, and we haven’t changed who we are. We’re a working, family-owned farm run by local people and we’re proud to keep agriculture alive in Dutchess County.”