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Story and photography by Manos Angelakis
More and more wine products are starting to reach the US marketplace labeled as “biodynamic”. I wrote 4 years ago about a Chilean wine producer Viñedos Orgánicos Emiliana, (see Emiliana story) that has been a pioneer in biodynamic grape cultivation in Chile, but now there are many more wineries - about 30 producing wines worth mentioning from throughout the world and the US - as well as specialty food producers, that are claiming the Biodynamic® designation.
So, what does Biodynamic actually mean?
As one of the most respected Chilean winemakers Alvaro Espinoza explained, biodynamic means that the entire vineyard is supposed to be treated as its own unique ecosystem, using holistic remedies for soil cultivation, integrating livestock, and in general creating a biologically diverse habitat without the use of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers. Seasonal cycles and cosmic rhythms are depended upon to initiate certain parts of the farming operation. The target is to achieve a super organic and sustainable method of agriculture.
These practices are considered by some as eccentric, to put it mildly, but most of the resulting product, whether it is wine or produce or cheese, seem to not only have an enhanced flavor profile, but also answers the health concerns of consumers about the use of man-made chemicals to augment plant and animal health and growth. Biodynamic farms depend on a minimum of nutrients imported from outside the farm, and, ideally, generate and regulate their own fertility through cover cropping and the use of manure from animals that live and feed on the farm.
The Demeter Biodynamic Trade Association and Demeter International are the certifying organizations that were formed in 1928 to advance the theories of Austrian cultural philosopher Rudolph Steiner, the father of biodynamic cultivation. In order for a farm to qualify for Demeter Biodynamic® status, a farm must first meet the three-year transition requirements that the National Organic Program requires.
 For farms to achieve biodynamic certification Demeter International explains, the farmer must have an active interest in the laws of nature and be willing to work with them; the farmers should be open to a holistic view of the world and note the influences of the moon, for example, on planting seeds or vine pruning and harvesting.
In addition, there are nine specifically created biodynamic preparations that must be used to help keep the farm in balance. The farmers and vintners must homeopathically treat, in very small amounts, compost, soil, and plants with them. These include Horn Manure (a process where they bury a cow horn filled with fresh dung in the fall and dig it up in the spring to treat the farm), Horn Silica (same thing as horn manure, but buried in the spring and dug up in the fall); manure and silica are mixed with large amounts of water, and a quarter cup of the preparation is used to treat an acre. Yarrow, Chamomile, Stinging Nettles, Oak Bark, Dandelion Flowers, Valerian and Horsetail, normally considered weeds in other places, are purposely grown between vine rows to provide needed nutrients when turned over, as well as being an early warning system for the presence of insect pests.
Most biodynamic wines retail in the $15 to $20 range, but ultra premium wines such as Emiliana’s G (a blend of 55% Syrah, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Carmenère, 15% Merlot) can reach the MSR $45 to $80 range. This particular wine has an intense ruby color and a beautiful nose of blackberries, raspberries, and currants with a hint of toasted oak, cigarbox, and eucalyptus.
Many people pooh-pooh biodynamic cultivation because it sounds metaphysical, talking about the phases of the moon. Nevertheless, if you drink bottles in the $15 to $20 range, the character and depth of flavor of many of these wines will captivate you.
To your health!
© April 2010 LuxuryWeb Magazine. All rights reserved.
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