Millbrook Vineyards & Winery has new winemaker for first time in 40 years. Meet Ian Bearup

Ian Bearup, 40, has been bicoastal most his life, bouncing between Sonoma County, the largest wine producer of Northern California, and Washington County and the Albany area in New York state.

"I still have memories running through the vineyard helping the picking crew when I was like 9 or 10," Bearup said about living in Sonoma County.

Now, he has found a home in the Hudson Valley at Millbrook Vineyards and Winery, where he was appointed the business's first new winemaker in four decades.

After living on both coasts during his childhood and adolescence, Bearup was drawn back to the wine country of Sonoma County after finishing his bachelor's degree at Elon College in North Carolina. He got settled and realized he needed a job.

"I did two interviews, one to work as an intern at a winery ... and I interviewed with State Farm to be an adjuster of some sort," he said.

He knew he didn't truly want a desk job, and thankfully, he didn't get the insurance position, but instead won the winery internship in 2007 at St. Francis Winery and Vineyards.

He has been working his way up in the wine industry ever since, traveling to the wine countries of California, Oregon and New Zealand, getting first-hand experience in the winemaking process in those roles, along with getting a winemaking certification from the University of California Davis.

Meeting so many individuals in the industry, talking with other great winemakers and hearing their experiences helped Bearup establish a true passion for wine.

For Bearup, it isn't just about how he likes doing this job -- he's passionate about everything to do with wine, including the creativity you get to put into it each vintage, the experimenting he can do, and even the challenge of making wine in New York.

Settling down in the Hudson Valley as Millbrook Winery's new winemaker

In the back of Bearup's mind, he had been contemplating moving back to the East Coast.

In 2021, Bearup, his wife and two children, now 6 and 4, moved to Pine Plains as he joined the Millbrook Winery team, quickly proving his expertise among the staff and guests.

Now, Bearup has been appointed the new winemaker by John Graziano, Millbrook Vineyards and Winery's first winemaker of 40 years, with Graziano moving into retirement. The family recently relocated to Red Hook and Bearup and his wife have a baby girl on the way.

Bearup leads the production of more than 12,000 cases of Millbrook wine annually and oversees the 30 acres of vines on the property, including plantings of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, Tocai Friulano, Riesling, Grüner Veltliner, Gamay Noir and Traminette, alongside Sava Marinkovic, the cellar master.

Those who have been at Millbrook Vineyards and Winery the longest are supporting Bearup in this new role, including Graziano, who has been working with him since he started there in 2021. Bearup said Graziano has shown him the ins and outs of the vineyard, along with the winemaking process not just in Millbrook, but in the New York climate, where winters can be brutal on the grapes.

"He taught me some really incredible techniques to deal with that," Bearup said about Graziano.

Bearup also made note of John Dyson, owner of Millbrook Vineyards and Winery, and how his passion for agriculture and the growing process is helpful in his new role, as well as David Bova, general manager and vice president of Millbrook Vineyards and Winery.

“Ian’s passion for the art of winemaking, dedication to the craft, and expertise in the process perfectly align with our values as a winery," Bova said in a statement.

Small changes, big impact at Millbrook

More concerts, along with new dinners and events are some of the changes planned at Millbrook Vineyards and Winery, Bearup said.

Bearup loves people making a day of a winery visit, not just dropping in for a tasting. He is open to visitors buying a bottle and setting up blankets and chairs outside with family and friends when the warmer months roll around.

Moreover, Bearup wants to push the Millbrook Vineyards and Winery brand into a higher-end segment, while still staying true to the wines that, over the past 40 years, have made the business what it is today.

He has started and will continue to make investments in newer equipment, as well as research and development to make producing the wines more efficient. The updates will be beneficial not only now, but in the long run, Bearup said.

Bearup noted the quality of the wines in the Hudson Valley has risen over the past 10 years, and he wants Millbrook Vineyards and Winery to match that standard, meeting what people expect from wine nowadays, even if it's just through subtle changes to the winemaking process.

He is pushing to work with growers from other regions, such as Long Island, to bolster the winery. Bearup said Millbrook can bring up the quality of its own wines just by working closer with better growers.

"Our best wines come from this vineyard," Bearup said, "but I'm trying to make it so all of our wines are as good as our best wines."

Nickie Hayes: NHayes@poughkee.gannett.com: 845-863-3518

This article originally appeared on Poughkeepsie Journal: See what's new at Millbrook Vineyards and Winery in Dutchess County