Bio-Dynamic winemaking?
–
Is
the only agricultural system
that doesn’t deplete or take anything away from the soils, and the oldest
natural farming system in existence. Everything is done in harmony with the
moon and stars. Wineries producing
bio-dynamic & organic wines are Brick House, Bergstrom, Montinore and
Maysara (all below).
Doug Tunnell, the owner
and winemaker of Brick House, describes Bio-dynamic: He says he wakes up
every morning surrounded by 34,000 grape vines. “You begin to look at the
world by what happens to those vines. They are subject to rhythms, to
patterns, to waves, if you will, that are very obvious to me---the phases of
the moon, the passage of the seasons, the positions of the sun in the sky.
He continues, “When I see the moon at nine in the morning in the western sky
on a clear day, I can tell you that we need to pick grapes: it’s harvest
time now. Because that’s where the moon is, year in, year out, at about the
time that we pick the grapes. The same with the sun: the sun is low in the
sky. It’s just a matter of observing and thinking about what we see today.
It’s October 14th. Look at the shadows. The light is very
different now. The vines are going to sleep. This is not light that is
going to stimulate photosynthesis. This is light that is going to allow
them to go into hibernation. This is just a way of thinking…That’s what
bio-dynamics has allowed me to do”
His vineyard is not only
organically certified, it is farmed according to biodynamic principles,
which he says, is similar to a homeopathic approach, or in the “old French
song that says that the best fertilizer in the vineyard is the footprint of
the owner. As Tunnell does not irrigate, Brick House wines are pure
expressions of each vintage.
Josh Bergstrom, of
Bergstrom Winery,
says, 'Biodynamic
farming dates back to the 1920's as
the original organic movement marrying Rudolph Steiner's Anthroposophic ideals and astrological influences on plants,
soils, water and stone. Biodynamic farming ensures unique and pure terroirs
which are alive with energy, feeling and not poisoned with the herbicides,
insecticides, pesticides or fungicides which are routinely abused around the
world.
We use natural elemental spray solutions
to combat disease, indigenous predatory insects and botanical teas to
control pests and organic compost to build and sustain a healthy, balanced
soil structure...What we do and when is attuned to moon phases so we know
when the sap is falling or rising in the vine. This maximizes the
plant's health and retention of energy for growth and to ward off disease.'
Their
Philosophy. they do not believe in processing a wine, the more natural
a wine is bottled, the better it will be when consumed.
'We
finally did it!' says
Montinore Estate. 'After 3 years of hard work,
we are so proud to announce that we earned our Demeter Biodynamic®
Certification this August! We are now one of 7 certified Biodynamic
vineyards in Oregon, and are most definitely one of the largest as our
entire 230 acres are certified.
We are often asked what exactly Biodynamic farming is. Biodynamic farming is
based the teachings of Rudolf Steine, and can be quite difficult to explain
as, so let me start by describing organic farming.
As most of us know, organic farming does not allow for the use of synthetic
fertilizers, herbicides or pesticides, instead we use naturally occurring
substances for disease control.
Biodynamic farming utilizes organic practices but takes a further step by
using certain amendments and sprays that are also naturally occurring; many
of them can be made with flowers and minerals taken directly from the
estate. These sprays work with the ecosystem in our vineyard to help promote
health in the vines, soil, bugs and animals that live here. By encouraging
health in the vines and ecosystem, the vines are stronger and less sensitive
to disease or other issues that may arise. In the end we have healthy, happy
vines producing high quality fruit which helps us make our tasty wine.'
The
untamed look of
Maysara Vineyards is evidence of their commitment to
a discipline called biodynamics.
In modern times,
biodynamics shares a foundation with the organic movement. However, while
organics shares the biological agriculture background and methods, it stops
short of the dynamic processes, or life force of the farm. For within a
fully sustainable farm, there is a circle of life processes which are
distinct yet completely intertwined with the whole. Biodynamics recognizes
and responds to the life force of the living farm, considering the farm a
living organism.
As a living organism, a
Biodynamic farm should be self-sustaining. Therefore, the goal of any
Biodynamic farm is to reduce the amount of outside inputs, and eventually
eliminate the need all together. This is especially important with wine, as
the maintenance of a unique sense of place is essential in maintaining the
vineyard’s sense of terroir.
In Biodynamic farming,
each farm has its own individuality and character. The farmer is part of
that equation, leading the farm in the right direction. Integration of
livestock, creating new pastures, thinning of the forest, introducing
insectory plants to enhance the well-being and food supply for beneficial
insects, introducing wild life and recycling nutrients are all important
parts of our task.
