biodynamic winemaking:
cultivation or cult?

by John Fanning

Just as some wine drinkers are starting to accept and appreciate organically made wines, along comes an even more rigorous type of viticulture, Biodynamic Winemaking. This practice was started in 1924 by Austrian philosopher Rudolf Steiner, who introduced Biodynamics as a method of agriculture that actively works with the health-giving forces of nature. In winemaking, Biodynamic practices have been utilized to maximize the potential of a vineyard, fully expressing the characteristics of a particular plot of land. In the U.S., Clos du Bois Vineyards and the Benziger Family Winery in Sonoma, CA, have been two of the country’s foremost advocates and practitioners of Biodynamic Viticulture; Mike Benziger explains that the practice is “like removing kinks from a hose, so the highest potential of that property can be realized.”

Biodynamic winemakers not only follow strict environmental guidelines, they also believe spiritual, and some would say “cosmic,” factors are involved. For example, many vineyard and winery tasks are done in strict accordance with the cycles of the moon, planets, and stars. The moon is waxing? Biodynamically speaking, it’s the proper time to plant and graft vines, or pick grapes. As a full moon will pull up the tide, some winemakers believe it can also pull up the sediment in their wine; hence they will not rack (clarifying the wine by moving from one container to another) during the full moon.

Then there is the infamous cow horn practice, which more than any other causes traditional winemakers to scoff. During the autumn equinox, Biodynamic winemakers fill cow horns with manure and bury them in the vineyard. When dug up months later, the manure has transformed into a substance that is then dissolved in water and sprayed onto the vineyards. This is believed to help cultivate a richer, healthier soil. As far-out as they may seem, these methods are being practiced in wine regions throughout the world, specifically the US, France, and Australia. While there is little scientific proof of the outcome of such methods, the best evidence is taste. Biodynamically produced wines offer rich, earthy fruit flavors with loads of character. At their best and worst examples, these are unique wines, wholly representative of the land the grapes are grown on. This is increasingly rare in a time when many wines are intentionally being made to taste alike, regardless of where they are from.

To a wine drinker, Biodynamically produced wines offer the potential for purer flavor with richer fruit intensity. Also, drinking such wines contributes to the decrease of soil erosion, contamination of ground water, and widespread use of dangerous pesticides. Perhaps most importantly, searching out and supporting Biodynamically made wines supports the winemakers and farmers who care most about both your health and the health of our planet.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR John Fanning became interested in wine several years ago. He has worked at vineyards and wineries all over the world, including the Finger Lakes, Oregon, and Tuscany. He is currently a Wine Specialist at Marketview Liquors in Henrietta.