CERTIFICATIONS
New York State Sustainable Certification
South Dominion Vineyards is a Certified Sustainable Vineyard in accordance with the New York Wine & Grape Foundation Sustainability Program, led by the New York Wine & Grape Foundation. This comprehensive initiative, branded as New York Sustainable Winegrowing, promotes environmentally responsible, socially equitable, and economically viable practices across New York State’s wine and grape industry by providing clear standards, educational resources, and third-party certification opportunities. The program emphasizes soil health, water conservation, energy efficiency, pest management, biodiversity, and community engagement, encouraging growers and producers to pursue continuous improvement and transparency while strengthening consumer confidence and the long-term resilience of the industry. South Dominion was accepted into the NYWGF Sustainability Pilot Program in the spring of 2022—an honor extended to fewer than ten percent of New York wineries—and is proud to be counted among this select group. Because we grow wine grapes in a region once thought unsuitable for quality wine production, our vineyard practices are guided by experience and practical results tailored to our specific site and conditions. Our commitment to sustainability drives us to implement best management practices that minimize environmental impact, reduce economic risk, and protect worker health and safety.
The mission of the Sustainability Program is to advance the environmental, social, and economic sustainability of New York’s wine and grape industry through regionally defined standards, third-party certification, grower education, and stakeholder engagement, with a vision of elevating New York State as a world-class wine region that protects the environment, conserves natural resources, and benefits the community.
New York Grown and Certified
The New York State Grown & Certified seal indicates that South Dominion Vineyards grapes come from have been inspected for safe food handling and environmental stewardship. The label lets you know your food was grown right, right here in New York State.
This voluntary program for New York State certifies farms are protecting natural resources and using safe food handling practices, with audits that verify that products are handled in a manner that minimizes the risks of food safety hazards. South Dominion Vineyard was certified in 2019.
Buying New York State Grown & Certified products not only supports local farms, it supports local jobs and local economies. Agriculture supports over 250,000 jobs and is especially important to New York's rural communities.
Wine and Spirit Education Trust Certification
Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET) qualifications are globally recognized as the international standard in wine and spirit knowledge. They are designed for those who are just starting out in their careers, as well as established professionals, and the many enthusiasts who have a passion for wines and spirits.
WSET is an exam board awarding organization. We are responsible for the creation, processing and quality assurance of WSET qualifications. The qualifications are delivered to candidates through our global network of Approved Program Providers (APPs). As the awarding organization, WSET is responsible for ensuring that APPs deliver our qualifications according to our standards and requirements.
South Dominion’s Vintner was granted a Level 2 Award in wines. WSET's Level 2 Award in Wines is an intermediate-level qualification exploring wines, suitable for industry professionals and wine enthusiasts. This level of certification shows knowledge of the principal and regionally important grape varieties of the world, the regions in which they are grown, and the styles of wine they produce. Through a combination of tasting and theory, a knowledge of the factors that impact style and quality and how to describe these wines is obtained.
