Bio-dynamic wine

Bio-dynamic wines

Bio-dynamic grape growing takes organic wines a stage further: it develops soil life and builds the natural immunity of the vine. In bio-dynamic wine, only natural yeasts are used and no artificial adjustments are made nor animal products added. So, any bio-dynamic wine will also be a vegetarian wine.

The bio-dynamic grower will try to use a holistic approach, preferring to generate raw material, like fertilizer and sprays, from the farm, the community, or increasingly from cooperatives of other bio-dynamic growers nearby.

An important aspect of bio-dynamic grape growing is the social/ community one. It is more labour intensive: there is a real benefit to working manually in the vineyard. Using a horse to plough might seem a bit excessive but hands always beat machines at pruning and picking. Bio-dynamic growing methods help keep rural communities alive and are a more sustainable form of growing.

In bio-dynamic wines, strange as it might seem:

The vineyard is cared for homeopathically with various organic sprays and treatments. While the benefits of homeopathic medicine for humans might be open to discussion; we are not aware of vines getting any placebo benefit and yet the results are very tangible.
The activities in both bio-dynamic vineyards and wineries are carried out according to a calendar governed by the moon and planets. While this seems very wishy-washy, it does seem to help.
The soil is more alive and healthier than the bland soils found in conventional vineyards. Bio-dynamic growers are constantly improving their soil rather than purposefully destroying it to make a safe blank canvas with no life. Bio-dynamic vines are healthy through natural prevention rather than chemical cure.
In a bio-dynamic vineyard the increased competition on the surface from other plants pushes the roots of the vines down deeper. The vines have better mineral horizons to draw upon and are less affected by conditions on the surface so the fruit is more concentrated, there is more flavour and it is healthier. The vines are more consistent and resistant to ailments and disease.

Whether or not you believe in the bio-dynamic farming approach, we believe that you will taste the difference. For us, time has shown that either the bio-dynamic methods work or that the obsessive nature of the growers means the bio-dynamic wines really are better wines.