What is a biodynamic wine?

Updated on December 13, 2022

Well, let's start at the beginning with a little information about biodynamics. It's easy !

In the beginning...

We owe this approach to agriculture to Mr. Rudolf Steiner, an Austrian philosopher, who in the 20's asked several essential questions to the agricultural world: what are the effects of fertilizers and pesticides on the soil? How do cosmic influences affect agriculture? What is the cause of the decline in food quality? etc. In short, Rudolf asked many questions and above all proposed ideas to farmers to give back to their land, vivacity and fertility.

The preparations

To work the land in the respect of this approach, farmers are invited to throw away their bottles of chemical weed killers and other clever fertilizers. To take care of the vines in biodynamics, it will be cow horns, dung, plants, and lunar calendar... A whole program!

Among the most known and used preparations, the "500" Horn dung. This preparation is obtained by fermenting good quality cow dung in the soil, inserted in horns and buried in the ground during the winter. Once out of the ground, this dung, dynamized with water, is sprayed on the soil, in this case on the vines.

In this way, the plots are protected from diseases and chemical fertilizers are avoided. The treatments must be carried out in accordance with the lunar calendar for a maximum effectiveness.

The Demeter Label

As they go to great lengths, winegrowers who work in biodynamics can by respecting the "specifications" affix the Demeter label on their bottles. These products have a double certification: Bio and Demeter. Just like the "AB" label, Demeter, present in 53 countries, assures consumers that the product, whether it comes from France, Switzerland, Egypt or Peru, offers the same guarantees of control and certification. However, some winegrowers work in biodynamics without the label because they did not want to subscribe to the specifications, but do not hesitate to ask them!

Biodynamic wines

These biodynamic wines are above all the reflection and the result of a respectful viticulture of the vines, the soils and the people. In the vineyard as in the cellar, this approach aims above all to produce healthy wines without chemical intervention.

Does it taste different? Not at all! And all types of domains use it, not only the small producers in the countryside, think again! For example, what is considered the best wine in Burgundy and one of the best wines in the "world", Romanée-Conti is biodynamic (but don't say that too much because it scares the most Cartesian).

Biodynamic wines are like when you go to the organic market gardener to buy your vegetables, you are sure that you will not be poisoned and moreover it is good!

Marie lecrosnier-Wittkowskyfor Les Grappes