Biodynamic wine
What biodynamic wine actually is
Biodynamic is the term most often confused with organic, and the one most likely to raise a smile. Here is what it involves, what is documented, and what is a matter of belief.
Where it comes from
Biodynamic farming was set out in 1924 by Rudolf Steiner in eight lectures given to farmers who were watching artificial fertiliser exhaust their soil. It is therefore older than the modern organic movement.
The core idea is that a field should work as a whole in itself: animals, plants, compost and soil in one cycle, rather than a monoculture kept alive from outside. The vineyard, in other words, should be able to feed itself.
Organic versus biodynamic
Organic is about what you do not use: no artificial fertiliser, no synthetic pesticides. It is a list of prohibitions, and it is controlled by the EU.
Biodynamic includes the whole organic list and adds to it: preparations made from compost, manure and herbs such as chamomile, nettle and yarrow, and work timed to the rhythm of the moon and the seasons. The certification is called Demeter, and it is private rather than public.
What it means in the vineyard
- The compost preparations
- Nine numbered preparations, most of them herbs that are fermented and then mixed into the compost in very small amounts. They are meant to kick-start microbial life rather than to fertilise in the ordinary sense.
- The calendar
- Work in the vineyard is timed to the position of the moon: root, leaf, flower and fruit days. It is the most disputed part, and the one most often quoted by people who want to poke fun at it.
- Animals and cover crops
- Sheep, chickens or horses between the rows, and plants between the vines instead of bare earth. It keeps the weeds down without spraying and draws nitrogen into the soil.
- No synthetic inputs
- No pesticides, no artificial fertiliser, no herbicide. Against mildew, copper and sulphur are used, both also permitted in organic farming, and preferably in the smallest doses possible.
The honest part
Some of this is hard to measure. Sowing by the phases of the moon has no strong scientific backing, and there are growers who call that part ritual rather than method.
What is well documented is that biodynamic plots typically show higher microbial activity, better soil structure and greater biodiversity than conventional ones. Whether that comes from the preparations or simply from being forced to walk the vineyard far more often is disputed, but the result in the soil is visible.
We do not pick a bottle because it is biodynamic. We pick it because it tastes good, and it is striking how often the two go together.
Can you taste it?
There is no biodynamic flavour. What you often meet is a wine with clearer acidity and a longer, more mineral finish, most likely because healthier soil grows deeper roots and hardier grapes. But a badly made biodynamic wine is still a bad wine.