If you haven’t run across biodynamic wine yet, just wait. Restaurants are creating special sections on their wine lists, and retail stores are color coding their shelves, all to point wine lovers to the fruit of an obscure farming philosophy based on ancient agricultural techniques. In 1924, Austrian philosopher Rudolf Steiner delivered a series of lectures to a group of German farmers concerned that their land was losing its viability after decades of chemical fertilizer use. Steiner’s holistic approach, which is rooted in European farming traditions, treats the farm as a closed system to be managed so that external inputs are unnecessary.
The goal is healthy farmland; some of the means to that end, however, might seem bizarre in the 21st century—manure buried in cow horns, stinging-nettle tea applied to compost piles, ground quartz sprayed on leaves to enhance photosynthesis, all administered in accordance with the earth’s cycles and cosmic forces. But focusing on the mystical aspects of biodynamics risks missing the point, as well as one of the main reasons winemakers in particular are so attracted to it: This is the ultimate hands-on approach. Without recourse to synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, or fungicides, serious attention must be paid to the vines. Winemakers are by nature extremely detail oriented, so it’s not surprising that this kind of agricultural micro-management might appeal to them.
France has the greatest number of biodynamic vignerons, and they’re making some of the most sought-after wines in the world. Their numbers are growing internationally as well, particularly in the United States and Australia. Demeter and ECOCERT are the two organizations most involved in regulating biodynamics around the world, but no single body governs the movement. As a consequence, biodynamic practices can vary greatly from place to place (as is also true of organics). To add yet another twist, many biodynamic wines are not labeled as such.
There’s no doubt that as a farming technique biodynamics is better for the planet than conventional agriculture. But how does it affect the wine? For one thing, because nothing is brought in from outside the vineyard, these wines accurately reflect the place they’re from—the terroir. For another, biodynamically grown grapes are more susceptible to the vagaries of a vintage since growers don’t use chemical treatments or fertilizers (some feel, however, that because the vines are naturally healthier they are better able to handle the stress of a difficult year). Beyond that, given the many variables introduced by winemakers, absolute pronouncements should be viewed with extreme skepticism. After tasting several dozen biodynamic wines, I can say with utter certainty that some are magnificent and some are awful. Sommeliers can’t afford to have the latter category in their cellar—wine-buying decisions are rarely based on abstractions like philosophy or environmental concerns—so the attraction must be the authenticity of these wines. As more consumers try them, their uniqueness will anchor them in the taste memory in a way that yet another oaky, sweet, high-alcohol wine can’t.
BIODYNAMIC WINE PRODUCERS
Araujo
Benziger
Bonterra
Castagna
Cayuse
M. Chapoutier
Marcel Deiss
Nicolas Joly
Domaine Leflaive
Domaine Leroy
Patianna
Zind Humbrecht
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