A Home Built for Miracles

Meet the Owners of Villa Milagro – Audrey & Steve

Building a vineyard was not a lifelong dream for Audrey & Steve. As a farmer’s daughter, Audrey worked very hard, acquiring multiple university degrees. In fact, she moved far from her family’s California farm to Washington DC and the Big Apple in an attempt to avoid the farm. A big city boy, Steve grew up in Queens, dreaming of becoming a race car driver – and did- but not of being a tractor jockey!

A New Way of Life

One day Audrey & Steve heard a voice that said “Build It and They Will Come!” So they “bought the farm” and everything changed. They exchanged their Gucci shoes for Carhartt boots, traded the Porsche 911 for an SUV, and left behind a dust free house for a farm house bustling with animals. They traded their gym memberships for shovels and pruning shears. And their subscriptions to Car and Driver and Vogue for monthly editions of the New Jersey Farmer and Wine Business Daily.

And, yes, they love it and have not looked back!

The Jack of All Trades

Steve stands out as a rare individual who has mastered many worlds. Before the age of 21, he invented a device for testing batteries. He built a computer consulting business at the dawn of the computer era. He won numerous amateur formula racing championships and masterminded Breakthrough Racing, a corporate training program to train companies to operate like high-level race teams. Steve successfully founded Milagro Associated where, a thriving residential and commercial finance business. Through this, he guided hundreds of clients in shaping their family and business futures. As a trailblazer, he launched the first BNI (Business Network International) chapter in New Jersey. Today, he serves as the Executive Director of BNI for northern New Jersey and northeast Pennsylvania, fostering connections and driving success across the region.

Living the Good Life

Wife Audrey, aka Dr. Audrey Cross, is a renowned nutritionist and lawyer with a remarkable career. She has served as food & nutrition policy advisor to the California State Senate, U.S. Senate and the Carter Administration. As a faculty member at Columbia University’s School of Medicine, she also maintained a national presence in television, appearing regularly on the Today Show, CBS This Morning, the Learning Channel, while hosting her own show on America’s Health Network. An author, Audrey has written and published numerous nutrition books for the public. She holds a PhD in nutrition and public policy from the University of California Berkeley and a law degree from University of California Hastings College of Law.

Born and raised as a farmer’s daughter in California’s verdant Central Valley, she was destined to create a vineyard and winery where farming and food come together. Her passion for food, health, and the good life drives everything she does.