The night before a harvest at South Dominion Vineyard, the carefully draped nets come off the rows scheduled for morning picking.
They’ve been protecting the grapes from birds. Winemaker Vance Bateman explains that a pecked grape can attract fruit flies and develop sour rot. Left unchecked, it can cost the vineyard a substantial part of its crop in a matter of weeks. So, removing the nets is one of the last vineyard jobs before the grapes go from the vines to the winery.
It’s also a reminder of how much work goes into a bottle before fermentation begins.
Let’s take a look at a harvest day at South Dominion Vineyard, a historic backdrop for a modern, family winery.
A Vineyard on Long-Farmed Land
The Bateman family planted South Dominion Vineyard in 2016, starting with 1,300 vines on their Cambridge farm. The land had been farmed for generations, and its restored log cabin and 1790 barn still stand alongside the family’s newer vineyard and winery.
The vines are cold-hardy Franco-American hybrids suited to upstate New York winters. South Dominion grows red grapes such as Marquette, Frontenac, and St. Croix, along with white varieties including La Crescent, Louise Swenson, and Itasca. They give South Dominion a range of fruit to work, each with its own growing needs and character.
Ripeness involves more than how a grape looks or tastes. The vineyard tracks Brix, a measure of sugar, along with acidity. As grapes mature, sugar generally rises and acidity falls. Those readings are especially useful for cold-climate grapes, which can retain considerable tartness. Cornell also samples the vineyard’s varieties during the season, giving the family more information about how the fruit is developing.
But the numbers are only one part of the decision. A stretch of rain can change the fruit’s sugar concentration, and the picking crew has to be available when a variety is ready. Once they decide it’s time to harvest, they remove the nets, clip the clusters from the vines, and bring the fruit to the winery.
What Happens After Harvest?
Once the grapes are picked, the varieties are kept separate, and the next steps depend on whether South Dominion is making a white or red wine.
For white wine, the fruit is crushed and pressed right away, and the juice is separated from the skins. Red grapes are usually treated differently. After crushing, they go into bins with their skins, helping to give the wine its deep red color and velvet texture.
As the yeast consumes the grapes’ sugar, fermentation produces alcohol and carbon dioxide. The gas lifts the red grape skins to the surface, forming a thick cap. The winemaker stirs those skins back into the juice several times a day. This helps control heat and draws color, tannins, and flavor from the skins into the wine.
Each fermenting batch needs close attention. The winemaker records its temperature and changing Brix level, checks how the yeast is progressing, and adds nutrients when needed. Too much heat can stress the yeast and affect the finished wine, so tending the bins continues well beyond the day the grapes arrive.
After the initial processing, South Dominion uses oaking and blending to shape their final products. The family makes a range of reds and whites, from dry to sweeter styles, using grapes grown on the property.
Details About Visiting
South Dominion’s tasting room sits in the post-and-beam winery, where you can stop in for a flight, find a seat by the fireplace, or take your glass out to the patio overlooking the vines. Upstairs, the loft features used books to flip through, vinyl records to play, and work by local artists.
Visitors can also walk through the vineyard, meet the sheep, and visit the restored log cabin. Events, history talks, and tours are held periodically, too.
South Dominion Vineyard is at 166 Brownell Road in Cambridge and is open seasonally. Check current hours before visiting. While you’re there, visit Autumn’s Harvest Vineyard just down the road, or follow the Upper Hudson Wine Trail to see how other Washington County growers work with cold-hardy grapes.
Looking for more great activities in this area?
Naturally, that’s just the beginning of the many unique attractions, activities, and amenities across the county!
Cambridge is home to dozens of farms, shops, and restaurants. Head over to the village’s main street for coffee, antiques, and more. On Sundays during warmer months, the Cambridge Valley Farmers’ Market offers seasonal produce, locally-raised meat and eggs, baked goods, and much more.
