Feel the force.

In 1942 the Austrian philosopher Rudolf Steiner gave a series of lectures based around his agricultural teachings. Those present became the disciples of biodynamic farming that preached the importance of a healthy soil through natural techniques and avoiding synthetic agrochemicals. Emphasis was placed on alternatives such as dynamised preparations that are added to the soil and vines in homoeopathic concentrations. For example, preparation 500, cow manure buried in a cow horn and left in the earth over winter, mixed with water and sprayed on the ground. Other preparations include 503: Chamomile flowers stuffed inside a cows intestine, buried in the soil over winter and added to compost, helping the microbes convert it into a good humus. Preparation 501 is made by adding finely ground quartz to a cow horn that is buried over summer and then dug up, mixed with water and sprayed over the vines. As well as improving soil structure, microbial health and nutrient availability, biodynamics helps balance the vine thus building up the plants natural resilience to disease and environmental pressures such as frost and drought. Steiner believed that cosmic forces played an important role in plant development and so through his farming methods he stressed the need to synchronise the earth with the cosmos. To achieve this he produced a farming calender coinciding certain viticulture practises like pruning, harvest and preparation sprays with the cycles of the moon, position of the planets and movement of the constellations.

Whether you believe it or not, like organics it comes down to good ethical farming. The ideology forces you to spend more time in the vineyard, building up the connection between farmer and land. It avoids the unnecessary quick fix solution of adding synthetic chemicals that go no where to helping provide a sustainable answer. Should we really be paying large sums of money to agrochemical companies to do a job, that with a bit of organisation we could do for free? Ask yourself who really benefits from conventional synthetic farming?

Milton Te Arai Vineyard Malbec. 2005. Gisborne.

A devoted biodynamic producer and one of the few experimenting with new grape variety's. This wine clocks in at 13%, not uncommon for a Malbec. The dark ruby colour gives up pepper and spice on the nose. The spicy red fruit on the palette doesn't quite balance the dry dusty tannins and the lack of any substantial fruit with a strong oak influence means that this wine would be more suited to drink with food. S omething like Toulouse sausages or cassoulet would be good. Another suggestion thrown on the table was Mini-moo cheese (peter), anyone who's tried this please let me know what it's like. A good food wine.   

Comments

[Sandy Lyell]

I have heard of this technique before, with a farmer giving her opinion on it on the radio. The feeling was that, whether you belived that the cow horn was strictly necessary or not, it really tied the farmer to the produce. This was because all wine emergencies and diseases could be faced but there could be no delay in dealing with them. The difference in connection with the land, compared to more normal methods, was described by the farmer as the difference between looking after a teenager (occaisionally disinfect with chemicals but essentially leave alone), and a newborn (constant worry, life destroying but you fall in love with what you care for). I was wondering if you knew what the Bordeaux producers at the level of Petrus and Lafite are doing? Are they are going more organic or is it more chemical based?

[Mr P]

Hello there!

So, are any of these practices you've mentioned above being used in the production of the grapes you are now processing? If not, do you think this is detremental to the finished product? Can you REALLY tell the difference between an 'organic' and mass produced wine? Are you just too knackered to care?

Don't let them work you too hard now!