A Hudson Valley winery teams with a vintage New York Yankee

Bernie Williams and his Band of Friends performing at the Millbrook Vineyards & Winery last year. The New York Yankee great is back Aug. 3 for a new concert and with a new Bernie’s Blend red wine. Photograph of Williams performing courtesy Millbrook Vineyards & Winery.

Established in 1982 on a former dairy farm in New York’s Hudson Valley, Millbrook Vineyards & Winery was the first regional vineyard dedicated exclusively to the production of vinifera grapes. With 38 acres of vines – including plantings of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, Tocai Friulano, Riesling, Grüner Veltliner, Gamay Noir and Traminette – the winery produces between 13,000 and15,000 cases of wine annually. Besides consistently earning top ratings on Trip Advisor, the winery is regularly recognized by publications such as Bon Appetit, The New York Times and Wine Spectator. 

Guests are welcome for tastings in the restored Dutch barn – the winery is open noon to 5 p.m. daily – or guided tours on weekends. But they may want to circle Aug. 3 on the calendar: That’s the date that Bernie Williams and his Band of Friends return to perform at the vineyard, with jazz pianist Larry Ham as the opening act.

Williams is perhaps best-known as the center fielder on four New York Yankees World Series championship teams of the 1990s, including the 1998 Yanks, considered by some experts to be the best Major League Baseball team to date. But the former Bronx Bomber is a triple threat. After retiring from the Yanks in 2006 following a 15-year career with them, Williams earned a Bachelor of Music degree in jazz performance from the Manhattan School of Music and has enjoyed a successful second act as a guitarist, releasing two albums and earning a Latin Grammy Award nomination. He’s also collaborated with Millbrook Winery’s head winemaker, Ian Bearup, on two vintages on the Bernie’s Blend red wine label.

A third vintage will debut the evening of the concert. The blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc will once again be adorned by custom artwork created by Williams’ daughter, Brooklyn-based artist Beatriz Williams. The label artwork depicts a still-life of some of her father’s favorite things – baseball, music and wine – and signed prints will be sold at the winery the evening of the concert.

It was during a visit to Millbrook Winery in 2021 that Williams met Vice President and General Manager David Bova, which in turn led to a fruitful conversation, pun intended, about baseball, jazz and the art of winemaking. Each year since, Williams has worked closely with Bearup to taste-test each of the wine barrels and blend and craft each of his wines.  

“Bernie and I share a respect for the craft of winemaking,” added Bearup. “Each year our collaboration deepens, resulting in an exceptional and unique wine, which is reflected beautifully in this year’s vintage.”

“We are incredibly proud to continue our partnership with Bernie Williams and have him take the stage for the third year in a row at Millbrook Winery,” said Bova. “Each year, Bernie’s Blend captivates our customers – thanks to the wine’s dynamic blend and Beatriz’s stunning label artwork – and we’re confident this year’s vintage will do the same.”

Passionate about giving back to the arts, Williams has directed a portion of all Bernie’s Blend wine sale proceeds to be donated to the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) Foundation’s SupportMusic Coalition, which helps fund music programs in school districts throughout the Hudson Valley and beyond.

The concert will begin at 6 p.m. Tickets are $250, which includes a meet and greet with Williams and an open wine bar, and $60. The rain date is Aug. 4.

Bernie’s Blend is available on the Millbrook Winery website, along with a schedule of jazz concerts through Aug. 31.

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