Biodynamic Wine Principles and Taste

With the shift towards more sustainable and holistic practices, biodynamic winemaking has gained significant traction globally. Read along to find out what exactly biodynamic winemaking means. Learn about the undoubted benefits of this approach, the skepticism around some practices, and, most importantly, does biodynamic wine tastes better.

What Is Biodynamic Wine?

Developed in the 1920s by Austrian philosopher Rudolf Steiner, biodynamic winemaking integrates organic farming principles with a strong emphasis on soil health, biodiversity, and something a bit unusual - the lunar rhythms.

Biodynamic wine is produced using a method that emphasizes sustainability and holistic farming. It represents a philosophy that views the vineyard as a self-sustaining ecosystem, seeking a natural balance between the soil, plants, animals, and cosmic elements.

Farming involves using organic and often locally sourced materials for fertilization and soil management, aiming to create wines that reflect a deep connection with their natural environment.

Biodynamic vs Organic vs Natural Wine: What's the Difference?

While often mentioned together, biodynamic, organic, and natural wines are different. Organic wines focus on grape cultivation without synthetic chemicals, emphasizing environmental health. Biodynamic wines go further, incorporating astrological influences and holistic vineyard practices. Natural wines stress minimal intervention in winemaking, often eschewing additives entirely.

Comparison of biodynamic, organic and natural wine.

Core Principles of Biodynamic Winemaking

There are a lot of components that go into biodynamic winemaking, but the foundation can be broken down into three main principles: ensuring biodiversity, using natural preparations for compost, and following the lunar cycles.

Biodiversity

Integral to biodynamic viticulture is the practice of growing multiple crops within the vineyard. It means that instead of keeping the lanes between the grapes perfectly weeded, the winegrowers will consciously plant other crops in between. This diversification has several benefits:

Soil Structure Improvement: The roots of cover crops create pathways for air and water, making it easier for grapevine roots to penetrate and access water and nutrients.
Erosion Prevention: Many vineyards are located on slopes where bare soil is prone to erosion. Cover crops help hold the ground in place, reducing topsoil loss due to wind and rain.
Soil Fertility: As cover crops decompose or are plowed back into the soil, they add organic matter, boosting soil fertility and supporting beneficial microbes. Different plants add different nutrients to the soil. Legumes, for example, can fix nitrogen from the air into the ground.
Pest control: Cover crops can attract beneficial insects that prey on pests harmful to grapevines.
Disease control: A monoculture (growing only one type of plant) can attract specific pests and diseases, but a diverse planting can reduce the spread of these diseases specific to grapevines.

Additionally, animals are active participants in maintaining the ecosystem in biodynamic vineyards. Animals can naturally control pests and manage weed growth. For instance, chickens and ducks eat harmful insects and snails, while grazing animals can keep weed growth in check. Their manure is a natural fertilizer, enriching the soil with organic matter and essential nutrients.

Herb Preparations and Compost in Biodynamic Winemaking

A key feature of biodynamic winemaking is the specific composting methods used to enrich the soil and stimulate plant health. It includes mixing seven defined herbs and a rather odd manure preparation.

Horn Manure

Horn manure is a distinctive element of biodynamic agriculture. Its preparation involves filling cow horns with fresh cow manure in the autumn and burying them underground. These horns are left in the soil throughout the winter and dug out in the spring.

Biodynamic principles suggest that during the winter months, the earth absorbs cosmic energies, which are then transferred into the buried horn manure. This process is believed to "charge" the manure with vital life forces.

Cow horns filled with cow manure. Source: Winery.ph

In spring, the manure is mixed with water in a process called dynamization and then sprayed onto the soil. This application is believed to boost soil health, encourage robust root development, and increase the activity of beneficial soil microorganisms.

However, the perceived superiority of horn manure in biodynamic practices is largely based on biodynamics' philosophical and spiritual foundations. While there are practical benefits to using manure as a soil amendment, the specific claims about cosmic energies and vital life forces are not backed by empirical scientific evidence.

Herb Preparations

At the heart of biodynamic composting are specific preparations made from seven different herbs, each chosen for their unique properties:

Yarrow (Achillea millefolium): Enhances the soil's absorption of trace nutrients.
Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla): Stabilizes nitrogen and fosters beneficial soil bacteria,
Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica): Promotes soil health and balances elements like iron and magnesium.
Oak Bark (Quercus alba): Rich in calcium, it fortifies plants and aids in disease prevention.
Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale): Believed to attract cosmic forces related to silica and potassium.
Valerian (Valeriana officinalis): Stimulates phosphorus processes in the compost, aiding in soil warmth and development.
Horsetail (Equisetum Arvense): Helps regulate fungal growth in the soil.

These preparations are typically applied during the formation of compost piles and, sometimes after turning, aimed at enriching the compost, which in turn benefits soil health and plant growth. Making these preparations is time-consuming, and most biodynamic practitioners opt to purchase them.

While these practices are deeply rooted in biodynamic philosophy, they also face scrutiny from the scientific community. As discussed in various scientific articles and studies, there is an ongoing debate about the empirical evidence supporting the efficacy of these biodynamic preparations. However, many biodynamic practitioners continue to report positive results in terms of soil health and grape quality, advocating for a closer connection between winemaking and the natural environment.

Astrological Influences

A unique practice of biodynamic winemaking is aligning vineyard activities with the lunar calendar and astrological signs; a concept traced back to ancient agricultural practices. The moon's gravitational pull is believed to affect moisture in the soil, just as it affects tides, consequently influencing the growth cycle of the grapes.

This ancient practice categorizes days as fruit, flower, leaf, or root days, each associated with different zodiac signs. Biodynamic vintners plan activities such as pruning, planting, and harvesting according to this calendar:

Fruit Days: with the moon in Fire signs (Aries, Leo, Sagittarius), fruit days are believed to enhance the quality and flavor of the fruit. Hence, they’re best for harvesting grapes and also bottling wine.
Flower Days: When the moon is in Air signs (Gemini, Libra, Aquarius), it's time for the vineyard to rest. It's a time considered suitable to enjoy the sensory aspects of wine, such as tasting.
Leaf Days: Associated with Water signs (Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces), these days are linked with water and growth in foliage. Watering or applying foliar sprays are considered the most effective on these days.

Root Days: Occurring when the moon is in Earth signs (Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn), these days are focused on soil cultivation, planting, and pruning.

"You would never, for example, want to harvest on a Leaf Day because Leaf Days correlate with the element water, and you'd end up picking rotten, waterlogged grapes!"
Source: Wine Folly

The frequency and timing of these days change each year and can be tracked using a biodynamic calendar, which outlines the position of the moon and planets. Such calendars often provide detailed advice on agricultural and viticultural activities best suited for each day.

Does biodynamic wine taste different?

Whether biodynamic wine tastes different is a topic of much discussion. Advocates of biodynamic winemaking believe that the unique farming practices lead to wines with notably intense flavors. This is attributed to lower grape yields and healthier fruits with a more balanced sugar-acidity ratio. Supporters of biodynamic wines also claim that these wines provide a more authentic and intense expression of the vineyard's terroir.

Furthermore, biodynamic philosophy proposes that the moon phases continue to affect the wine’s taste even when bottled. Although this idea is widespread, and many wine experts and enthusiasts use apps to time their tastings or wine consumption based on lunar phases, scientific evidence supporting the moon's impact on wine flavor is limited.

An often-cited study conducted in 2017 in New Zealand involved blind tastings of 12 different Pinot Noirs by 19 wine professionals. This study found no statistical correlation between the biodynamic calendar and the wine-tasting experiences.

However, Caitlin Duffy has critiqued this study for its methodological limitations. She suggests that more comprehensive scientific research is needed in this area to answer whether biodynamic practices have a definite impact on the taste of wine.

"With so few scientific studies, perhaps we should transfer our robust scientific methods from exoplanets and lasers to wine – if nothing else, these studies would make for an interesting social activity at conferences."
- Caitlin Duffy, a contributing columnist for Physics World and a condensed-matter physics PhD student at the High Field Magnet Laboratory in Nijmegen, Netherlands

Biodynamic Certification and Regulation

Certifying bodies Demeter and Biodyvin conduct thorough audits of vineyard and winery operations to ensure compliance. Achieving biodynamic certification is a rigorous process that ensures wines are produced strictly following the specific principles and practices.

As of 2023, there are 1402 Demeter-certified wineries in the world, of which 85 are in Spain, and many more are Biodyvin-certified wineries.

Biodynamic winemaking comes with challenges, including higher costs due to labor-intensive practices and strict certification processes. For example, Demeter certification can charge a winery about 2% of its revenues.

Conclusion

As we've seen, the debate over the tangible impacts of these practices on wine quality continues to stir conversations in viticultural circles.

Biodynamic winemaking offers a distinctive dimension to the world of wines. It invites us to consider not just what we drink but how it's crafted and the philosophy behind each bottle.

Ultimately, whether biodynamic wines taste distinctively different may remain subjective, but their contribution to promoting a more sustainable and holistic approach to viticulture is undoubtedly significant.

What do you think about biodynamic wines and winemaking practices? If you’d like to consider adding Spanish biodynamic wines to your offering, get in touch with our team! Use the form below or tap the Whatsapp button.

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