Biodynamics – Do We Believe?
Author: Jasper Morris MW
More and more of our producers have been experimenting with biodynamic methods of viticulture in recent years. Some go the whole hog and have achieved biodynamic certification; others are experimenting with certain aspects only. A third group is fully committed but not certified.
Of course another viewpoint is that these producers are certifiable and should be committed at the first opportunity. There are certainly aspects which are hard to swallow: the burying of dung in cow’s horns, the harnessing of cosmic forces, too slavish discipleship of the theoretical founder, Rudolf Steiner.
Some suggest that the biodynamic label is a marketing tool. However it should be pointed out that many of the most active proponents are those with most to lose: great domaines which were already flourishing before they moved in this direction, such as Zind Humbrecht in Alsace, Lafon, Leflaive and Leroy in Burgundy or Château Pontet Canet in Bordeaux. See here for further discussion and a list of other biodynamic wine producers worldwide.
The central tenets of biodynamic production are (1) an organic minimum, no pesticides, herbicides, or other chemical input; (2) respect for the biodynamic calendar which charts the movement of the moon through the constellations, along with the location of the sun and the planets – an evolution of theories which date back through the middle ages to Hellenistic and even Egyptian civilizations; (3) a homeopathic approach to preparations and treatments which has enthusiastic adherents and vehement deniers in the medical world – another subject altogether!
What we care about is that the vignerons make the best possible wine from their terroirs. As a retailer, Berrys’ does not, and should not, insist that producers follow certain production methods but, as a rule, we like our suppliers to demonstrate awareness and care for the environment and Biodynamics fits this profile.
Whilst some Biodynamic methods are not instantly understandable or explainable, our number one concern as a business is selling the very best quality wine and we are increasingly seeing that Biodynamic production methods, given the stringent attention to detail required by producers, often result in better quality wine. The individual wines seem to be purer, more mineral and more precise reflections of their vineyards than these same producers were making before. See here for a report on a comparative tasting in New York.
Interestingly, in the difficult 2008 growing season in Burgundy, both the best and the worst looking vineyards were farmed biodynamically, with everything in between to boot. And ‘normal’ farming methods also provided a wide range, from clean and healthy to ravaged by mildew or oidium.
We have not taken a definite stand on this subject but are fascinated by the possibilities. Please do communicate your thoughts. The more we discuss, the more we will learn and understand.
Well you know what is said……the proof of the pudding is in the eating. If I ever need to proove the efficacy of Biodynamics to anyone all I have to do is feed them some potatoes from my garden,
Interesting subject Jasper – perhaps over and above ‘respecting the soil’ etc., you might be able to get some producers to actively critic the development of their own wines pre and post ‘conversion.
I do find more than a touch of lunacy (don’t mention the moon…) about total adherance, though Jeremy Seysses did tell me that it is easier ‘to follow the path’ now; there are companies that will send you everything you need through the post – including the dung – but don’t worry, you don’t need to bury that cow-horn anymore, as the dung is already pre-treated with just the right amount of horn! I still have a problem with the spraying of copper (from a ‘natural’ perspective) yet without it, yields in an average vintage could be 10% of what we see today – the devil you know I suppose.
Let’s be clear, great wines were made in years when everyone used herbicides, yet in the end I agree that an uncompromising approach in the vineyards is likely to be matched by the same in the cuvérie (though skill and judgement clearly do not follow rote) and this combination provides us, without doubt, more great wines than ever before.
On balance it seems a fair trade-off; great wines despite some chance of ‘them’ coming to take you away…
Biodynamics are unscientific nonsense, as far as I am concerned. That’s not to say that they won’t be good wines, but I associate that more with step (1) than steps (2) or (3). Also, I’d guess that anyone whose going to the effort of biodynamics will be treating their grapes and wine with great love and affection.
I think that producers are wasting their time and money on steps 2 and 3, and that therefore I should be able to get a similar quality organic wine for cheaper than its biodynamic equivalent.
Difficult to prove anything scientifically, of course, given that wine varies so much depending on the exact position of the grapes – perhpas alternating rows of biodynamic and non biodynamic grapes?
I love organic for treading lightly on the earth, although I’m not sure there’s any difference you can taste in the glass.
I think biodynamic is woo-woo stuff, dancing naked in the light of the moon. Nevertheless, some of the biodynamic producers (Mark Kreydenweiss in Alsace, for instance) make spectacular wines. This may simply reflect the reality that one who practices this technique is, quite coincidentally, paying a very great deal of attention to his crop.
Thanks for the input. Clearly the mix of meticulous farming, love and affection has a great deal to do with it (step 1, above). I can see a role for step 2 as well since we clearly acknowledge in many other areas the influence of the moon.
I had the experience once of tasting a range of wines with a producer who had begun to use biodynamics a few years earlier on just one of their plots, Chapelle Chambertin. It stood out in their line up and as soon as I tasted it the lightbulb went on in my head, telling me that these grapes had been grown biodynamically (and the others not).
Otherwise, it is hard to put together any conclusive tests. In the early years of biodynamics at Domaine Leflaive, they farmed part of each vineyard biodynamically and vinified this part separately from that farmed non-biodynamically. I understand that in blind tasting tests there was a noticeable bias in favour of the biodynamics, but I did not try it myself.
I’m currently studying for the WSET case study exam on “Ethical Wines”, which I guess includes biodynamic wines.
Steven Skelton’s book on viticulture – which I’m sure anybody who’s been through the WSET system will be familiar with – argues that if biodynamic wines are of excellent quality (and he doesn’t say they all are), it is because of sound vineyard practices such as restricted yields, the use of animal manures, green harvesting, canopy management, and other TLC activities in the vineyard.
He says that these kid-glove treatments are available to conventional grape growers too and, indeed, are used in many of the top vineyards in the world…
Indeed, I do think that, as far as wine quality is concerned, there is a correlation between the use of biodynamics and the simple fact that people who farm biodynamically are spending way more time and energy on their vines than chemically-enclined producers. The focus is making the vines healthy, in a healthy ecosystem, and that certainly can’t be bad for the resulting wine.
Beyond that, having applied biodynamic preparations to improve my own garden – including successfully fighting off a rather insistent case of apple scab on my crabapple tree – I can testify that I’ve obtained results from using the practical precepts of BD. I remain skeptical on more mystical aspects of the whole philosophy, but more and more convinced of the concrete effects I’ve seen.
I think Sustainable Farming is sufficient.
Sustainable Farming is certainly sufficient but there is no reason why those who want to should not go further. My own experiences chime in with those of Remy above.
I think also that teh arrival of biodynamics has made producers question every aspect of what they were doing, over and above the application of straightforward organics.
While I can see the benefits of biodynamics I am not convinced that the general consumer understands the principals (apart from hippy mumbo-jumbo) and probably doesn’t really ‘need to know’ that a wine is produced using such principals.
I had a chat with Rudiger Gretcher of Boekenhoustskloof a while back; while they have every intention to turn all their vineyards to biodynamic production they wont be advertising the fact on the label.
Interesting post on BD.
The first problem with biodynamics is that is so utterly misunderstood (“woo-woo stuff, dancing naked in the light of the moon”, “hippy mumbo-jumbo” and such like, usually pronounced by people who have not taken the time to look at what BD actually is). It doesn’t help that some of the most vocal proponents (e.g. from the Loire) are good at making it even more mystic.
(Look instead at others, like: DRC, Chapoutier, Zind Humbrecht, Boekenhoutskloof, Domaine Gauby, Clos Marie and many more down to earth farmers…)
If you look at it more closely there are a lot of interesting and sensible vineyard practices involved. By the way, many would argue that the moon and cosmic calendars are not strictly part of the biodynamic principles (contrary to the original post), even if many (most) BD producers use them. As, by the way, do many producers that are not BD but who e.g. take care to bottle in the “correct” moon phase.
The most interesting and perhaps most important parts of the methodology seems rather to be the treatments and the way to work the vineyard. And if you look at some of the treatments, at what they are and at what they do, it’s not much stranger than throwing various chemical substances at the vines, but perhaps a bit more “natural”.
A person who explains it in a very down to earth way is Christine Saurel of Domaine Montirius. We have a mini-series with interviews with her here:
http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=1E07B9D7CFAE27DA
Now, this does not mean that I personally am convinced of that BD “works”, and should not be interpreted as such. But at least one should take the time and listen and to look at the vineyards.
But in the end the proof is in the bottle: does it make good wine? But that is perhaps not the right question, because the wine is made be people. So, rather, do THEY make good wine? And yes, many biodynamic wine produces make excellent wine.
Is it because they are biodynamic? Don’t know. Perhaps that is part of the answer, perhaps not. But perhaps more importantly, they care about what they do and they pay attention to their vines and their wine making.
Incidentally, I was attending a cellar door tasting at Caymus Vineyards in Napa Valley last year when I asked whether they have any plans to go biodynamic. The answer was … “you mean organic?” “No, I mean biodynamic.” “I don’t know what you mean by biodynamic. It’s probably just some French thing. I’ve never heard of that in Napa and I’ve been in the wine business here for 20-some years …” Speechless.