The plans
for Whitecliff have been long in the making. Michael has lived on the
property since 1975, when he was studying organic chemistry in graduate
school at SUNY, New Paltz. Upon graduation in 1978 he was hired by IBM
to be trained as a semiconductor engineer. He decided to buy the property
he was living on and soon became intrigued by the idea of starting a vineyard.
"I wanted to do some farming, and this area was historically a grape-growing
region supplying New York City," Michael explains. Wine had figured prominently in his upbringing: his German and Italian grandfathers both made wine at home, and it was part of their everyday dinner table. Michael enjoyed his work at IBM but was eager to put to practical use his expensive graduate education. "You don't have to be a physical organic chemist to be a winemaker," he observes, "but it certainly helps."
He started
planting his vineyards in 1979, beginning the research on what would do
well at his specific site. This procedure involves years of trial and
error to determine which varieties will produce good yields and quality
while withstanding the cold winters. A few years into the process he met
Yancey, and a few months later she became his wife — and
a full partner in the wine venture. "She knew that I wanted to have a winery
someday, but I don't think she would have married me if she had known
how much work it would be," he jokes. Yancey admits it's a grueling lifestyle
and a far cry from her Manhattan upbringing. Still, she finds it deeply
satisfying. "We have a gorgeous site, we're keeping 70 acres in farmland,
and we're excited about experimenting with great viticulture and
high quality
wine," she says. 
The Migliores expect to sell most
of their wine out of their own tasting room to both tourists
and locals as many Hudson Valley wineries do. Their production this year
will be just 500 cases; next year it will be atleast 1500 cases as more
Gamay Beaujolais grapes come into production. After that they plan to
double production every year for four years. Their wines are designed
to appeal to the wine drinker who has already developed a palate. "My
wines are complex and handcrafted, with intensity of flavor," Michael
says.Whitecliff Vineyard & Winery is also featured in Country Living Magazine, October 2001 edition.