Quick Guide to Biodynamic Wine
While most of us are familiar with organic winemaking and agriculture, there is still much confusion and perceived mystery around biodynamics. Whether it’s completely new to you, or you’ve heard a few things through the grapevine, we’re here to demystify this unique approach to wine production.
An Introduction to Biodynamic Wine
Biodynamic wine is all about taking organic winemaking to another level, essentially – a more holistic level. It’s about working very closely with nature and being completely in sync with it.
While similar to organic agriculture, what sets it apart is that the biodynamic philosophy also incorporates more obscure concepts that many of us wouldn’t normally associate with winemaking, such as astrology. Biodynamics treats the health of the soils, vines and any living organism as a single system, and also suggests that winemakers should consider lunar activity when planning their work schedule, because the vineyard, the winemaker and the universe are all interconnected.
Just like with organics, winemakers who adopt the biodynamic approach don’t use any chemicals or man-made substances, but this is only one very small aspect of their approach to viticulture. To qualify as biodynamic, the winemaking process must:
- only use organically grown grapes (no chemical pesticides, herbicides, fungicides or fertilizers used, and not genetically modified)
- only use substances that naturally occur in that area (i.e. local cow manure as fertilizer)
- plant, prune and harvest according to the Biodynamic Wine Calendar
What is the Biodynamic Wine Calendar?
The Biodynamic Wine Calendar is divided into the four classical elements of Earth, Air, Water and Fire. It is believed that certain activities in the vineyard should be performed on certain days for the best results.
- Earth element = Root Day: Best time for pruning to stimulate vine growth
- Air element = Flower Day: Best to leave the vines alone on these days to blossom
- Water element = Leaf Day: Best time for watering the vines for healthy leaves
- Fire element = Fruit Day: Best time for harvesting the grapes
These elements are based on star signs and the moon’s influences on our planet, such as how it affects sea levels. While it may not be everyone’s cup of tea, it’s an ethos that many eco-conscious farmers and winemakers subscribe to.
The Philosophy of Biodynamic Practices
It is widely believed that biodynamics started in the 1920s with Rudolf Steiner (which predates the organic movement by about 20 years, by the way), and it was based on the belief that everything should be treated as one interconnected entity.
A producer of biodynamic wine will use natural ways to encourage soil health – and, in turn, healthy vines and fruit – such as burying ‘Horn Manure’ in the soil for six months. This is a traditional biodynamics practice of filling cow horns with fresh manure from local pasture-fed cows and planting them in the vineyard around autumn time, and it is thought to do all sorts of clever things such as increase soil moisture retention, improve plant growth, encourage deeper roots and earthworm activity.
In the spring, the horns are then dug up and mixed into a tea-like potion which can be used to spray the vines. It should even be stirred in a particular direction, for a certain amount of time, before it’s sprayed on the plants… and let’s not forget that this should all be done on a particular astrological day in the calendar!
We know that, historically, people have looked to the sky to guide them – whether it was the Greeks, Egyptians or Incas – so biodynamics following astrology and lunar activity is not a new idea by any means.
Before modern machinery and electric lighting, farmers would work with the natural cycles of the seasons to produce food, and biodynamics embraces this natural state of there being a right time for everything, and not forcing nature. We know that the moon has an effect on the tides, so perhaps there is something to be said for assuming the moon will have an effect on water levels in other ways.
In biodynamics, it is believed that when the moon is low (this happens on a Root Day) the sap in the vine will also be low, so it’s a good time to prune. The theory is that pruning the plant at this time will mean when the cut is made the sap will stay within the vine rather than forming ‘tears’ at the incision – and, therefore, the plant’s energy won’t be wasted (meaning it’ll have more energy to put into making tasty grapes!).
Is Biodynamic Wine Better for Me?
The idea is that this is the healthiest way to make wine – both from a consumer point of view and in terms of the environment.
Grapes grown in this way are naturally healthy, with strong skins that are packed full of antioxidants and other substances that are very good for you, such as cardio-friendly resveratrol. In fact, biodynamic wines contain around 80% more resveratrol than wines made in the standard way.
The bad news? Sorry folks, there is no evidence to prove that biodynamic or natural wine will leave you hangover free if you overindulge! Studies have shown that it is the alcohol and histamines in wine that cause hangover symptoms such as headaches – so you won’t escape that if you switch to biodynamics.
Did You Know?
- The rules and regulations for organic wine production differ from country to country, but there is only one set of rules for biodynamics that’s followed globally
- Some followers of biodynamics even believe that certain wines taste better on certain days in the Biodynamic Wine Calendar – for instance, red wine is said to taste better on a Fruit Day, while aromatic whites are more fragrant on a Flower Day… who knew?!
