What is biodynamic wine?
I had the pleasure of visiting the Podere Concori winery in the Garfagnana region of Italy. This region is the mountainous region just south of where we live, as you drive towards Lucca. Our driver Andrea, who owns Tuscan Drivers, did a fabulous job driving us up and through the mountains; he even stopped to show us where he grew up near, Viagli Sotto high up in the mountains. It was gorgeous. Let's face it we live in one of the most beautiful regions in Italy! We even stopped off at a national park, which once was a stop-over point for shepherds as they crossed the mountain range. It definitely had an alpine vibe and some pretty weird marble statues.
Okay back to biodynamic wine. Essentially biodynamic wine is grown hyper naturally, using not only natural pesticides but also using the phases of the moon.
The official definition of biodynamic farming according to the Biodynamic Farming and Gardening Association is “a spiritual-ethical-ecological approach to agriculture, gardens, food production and nutrition.” Biodynamic wine is made with a set of farming practices that views the farm or vineyard as one solid organism. The ecosystem functions as a whole with each portion of the farm or vineyard contributing to the next. The idea is to create a self-sustaining system. Natural materials, soils, and composts are used to sustain the vineyard. Chemical fertilizers and pesticides are forbidden for the sake of soil fertility. A range of animals from ducks to horses to sheep live on the soil and fertilize it, creating a rich, fertile environment for the vines to grow in. Biodynamic farming also seeks sustainability or leaving the land in as good or better shape as they found it for future generations.
This vineyard also uses ancient methods to rid the grapes of pests and fertilize using sheep and horses and a crazy donkey as well. The wine we tasted was delicious. Although some of the wines, like the white had a funky flavor, which took some getting used to. The owner is committed to growing grapes in this way, but it's an amazing amount of work. I did take pause and think that maybe we should convert our vineyard in the coming years to a bio-dynamic vineyard? Right now we are organic, so taking the next step might not be a big leap. I will keep you posted. In the meantime, I highly encourage you to taste some biodynamic wine, let me know what you think. Thank you to our amazing driver Andrea and Tuscan Drivers, our preferred La Fortezza Workshop/Retreat drivers.
xx Annette