Healthier Wine Series Part 2: Biodynamic

The second in a continuing series on eco-friendly farming and winemaking practices. This time we look at the practice of Biodynamic.

The development of biodynamic agriculture began in 1924 with a series of eight lectures on agriculture given by Rudolf Steiner at Schloss Koberwitz. The course was held in response to a request by farmers who noticed degraded soil conditions and a deterioration in the health and quality of crops and livestock resulting from the use of chemical fertilizers.

Biodynamic agriculture is a method of organic farming that treats farms as unified and individual organisms, emphasizing balancing the holistic development and interrelationship of the soil, plants, animals as a closed, self-nourishing system. Regarded by some proponents as the first modern ecological farming system, biodynamic farming includes organic agriculture’s emphasis on manures and composts and exclusion of the use of artificial chemicals on soil and plants. Methods unique to the biodynamic approach include the use of fermented herbal and mineral preparations as compost additives and field sprays and the use of an astronomical sowing and planting calendar. Biodynamic agriculture has its basis in a spiritual world-view known as anthroposophy as propounded by founder Rudolf Steiner.

Perhaps the most challenging part of Biodynamics is getting the landowner to see the interrelationships of everything on the farm and understand that every plant and animal is there for a reason, and nothing is optional.

The certifying body for Biodynamics is the Demeter Association. The entire farm must be certified at once, and free of artificial inputs for previous three years and under biodynamic management for previous two years. Annual inspections are required and Sulfite addition cannot exceed a total of 100 parts per million from the time grapes are crushed to the time the wine is bottled.

Biodynamic wineries include: Benzinger, Bonny Doon, Fetzer, Grgich, Patianna, Quivira, as well as others. Always check with your local retailer or the wineries website to see which of the specific wines from a vineyard are Biodynamic.

These wines may be labeled with the Demeter logo, or have the terms “Biodynamic wine”, “Demeter wine”, or “Demeter certified wine”. You may also see wines labeled “made from Biodynamic grapes”, or “made from Demeter certified grapes”.

For more information please visit;
Demeter USA
Demeter Certified Vineyards

Thad Norlinger
-Cellars Wines & Spirits