Biodynamic Wines
Wine Observed:
Biodynamic Wines
by Marty Ramsburg
What are Biodynamic® wines? Some people may explain that it is uber-organic, but that does not accord Biodynamic practitioners the respect they deserve.
Vinters who embrace Biodynamic principles also commit themselves not just to winemaking, but to farming.
For those wine producers who adopt Biodynamic principles, the objective is to create a self-sufficient living organism by raising cattle, creating a seed bank from one’s own produce, producing feed, and creating fertilizers with farm-produced compost and manure. In addition, certain plants are grown from which herbal teas are made that are applied to the plants and the soil to promote the life of the soil. Werner Michlits, winemaker/beer maker/farm hand at Weingut Meinklang in Pamhagen, Austria, explains that “adherence to these principles leads to a harmonization of the living relationship between soil, plant and animal.
A healthy soil produces healthy plants which in turn supply the nutritional requirements of man and animal.”
What does this mean for wine produced on Biodynamic estates and for us as consumers? First, vines grown by Biodynamic principles are healthier and therefore have been more resistant to plant diseases and even extremes of weather. Second, the wines produced are the quintessential representatives of “terroir,” i.e., they express distinctions and nuances particular to the place where the vines are 
grown since nothing from beyond the farm has been added. Nicolas Joly, of Coulée de Serrant, describes Biodynamic principles as a way of “helping vines catch the climate and soil in the wine.” As consumers, we enjoy wines that give us a pure and unmodified expression of the grapes and the place. The resultant wines are alive and fresh; they have energy and identity. For those who want pure wines, these are your ticket—organically grown grapes, wild yeasts, minimal intervention in the cellar.
How do you know which wines are Biodynamic? If they are certified, the Demeter® logo will be displayed somewhere on the back label. Since not all farms practicing Biodynamic principles are certified, you may need to check with an informed wine merchant. If you are interested in learning more about Biodynamic agriculture, Werner Michlits will be guiding a tasting with Windham Wines on Tuesday, February 28th. For details, call Windham Wines at 246-6400.
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Marty Ramsburg is co-owner with Frank Larkin of Windham Wines, one of Vermont’s premier wine and beer retailers. Next door is their Wine Gallery, a unique venue for special events and guided wine and beer tastings. 802 246-6400 Tues-Sat, 10-6p, 30-36 Main Street, Brattleboro. Windham Wines also sells wines at North End Butchers, 972 Putney Road, Brattleboro, Tues-Sat, 10-6p, Fri until 5.1 Windhamwines.com.
