Because we love it so: a little lesson in biodynamic wines

The cork pops with a small plop and the woody aromas of a well-aged wine flow directly into your nose. As far as we are concerned, nothing (well, almost nothing) beats a Friday afternoon with a well-deserved bottle of wine. We love natural wine, but lately our attention has been drawn to biodynamic wines, which go one step further than their organic sisters. How does this work exactly? We are happy to explain.

Influence of Anthroposophy

To understand biodynamic wines, we go back to an old friend, Rudolf Steiner, founder of anthroposophy. At the beginning of the 20th century, he developed the philosophy of life that stands for the "wisdom" of man. It looks beyond the body; these, together with the soul and cosmos, are seen as one whole - they are interconnected. You could say it is a holistic approach to life. This principle is applied in biodynamic agriculture. The word biodynamic comes from the Greek 'bios' and 'dynamis', which mean 'life' and 'energy' respectively. This life energy comes from the heavenly bodies, water, oxygen and, of course, the sun. Biodynamic (wine) farmers work in accordance with these forces and let them guide them in their craft. This way of 'farming' increased in popularity at the time when artificial fertilisers were becoming increasingly popular. Concern for one's own health (and that of nature) thus began to grow. The healthy influence of the end product - although, how healthy can wine be? - is central to this. To achieve this, the making process is of great importance: the soil and the crop must be as healthy as possible.

Rudolf Steiner

Furthermore, the position of the Moon is taken into account, which, according to anthroposophy, not only controls the ebb and flow, but also the groundwater. Maria Thun is a key figure when it comes to sowing and harvesting based on the position of the moon. She developed the very first sowing calendar, which indicates when it is best to plant and harvest root, leaf, flower and fruit crops. This wisdom is also applied in biodynamic viticulture.

Difference between natural wine, organic wine and biodynamic wine

Apart from the unity of man, nature and cosmos, of course no chemical substances may be used in the development of biodynamic wine, but that also applies to the organic variety. The influence of cosmic energies is what makes biodynamic wine so unique and thus distinguishes it from organic or natural wine. In addition, biodynamic viticulture makes use of organic manure and a number of preparations, which lead the cosmic forces to the crop in a positive way. Biodynamic vineyards also have their own little ecosystem, because it is important that everything grows at its best. This is made possible by insects and other plants in the area. In short: a pleasant lot.

With natural wine, the situation is slightly different: the wine is made with as little intervention by the winegrower as possible. This means that little or no sulphites or yeasts are added to natural wines. The process of making organic wine is a kind of 'light' version of its biodynamic sister, without preparations and without influences from the cosmos.

Biodynamic wines are becoming increasingly popular and are now even available in supermarkets. Internationally renowned star chef Marco Westmaas is also a connoisseur and, together with his girlfriend and business partner Esther Wilts, a big fan of natural and biodynamic wines. Esther: "We like to work a lot with natural and biodynamic wines, but we choose mainly on the basis of taste. Natural wines are very diverse and often have an earthy taste. A biodynamic wine can be very austere and therefore more 'neat' than a natural wine. We find it important what the effect on nature is of the products we use in our profession. This principle is central to biodynamic viticulture. It looks at the whole cosmos and everything connected to it. That is why the preparations are important in this type of wine. For example, cow horns are buried, because the sun is absorbed by cows through their horns. If you bury them, the power of the sun comes in extra in the spring. The beauty of biodynamic agriculture is not only being aware of what you take from nature and limiting the negative effects, but especially restoring and returning energy to the soil. Whether it is necessary to fill the deer's bladder with nettle and bury it for that purpose, I do not know.

Romanée-Conti

She continues: 'We are big fans of the biodynamic wines of Domaine Romanée-Conti. If you choose biodynamic wines, you always do better than when you choose non-organic wines. This is because extensive attention is paid to the effects of winegrowing on its environment. The production process is adapted to nature and the agricultural calendars (based on the Moon) of, for example, Maria Thun. Biodynamic wine growers often consider traditional wine growing to be 'slavery' of nature and the plants around it; with biodynamic wine, everything is taken into account and that's what I like about it. But there's more: 'I've never experienced it like that, but it is said that a wine 'opens' itself in your glass when you roll it clockwise. This means that the taste of the fruit becomes more present through this movement. The opposite direction would keep the wine closed and let the smell of the barrel and the skin of the grape come forward more - nice to experiment with. This phenomenon is said to be related to the magnetic attraction of the earth and the slightly stronger attraction of the North Pole in relation to the South Pole.

Key figures in the world of wine

Esther Wilts is not the only power woman who knows a lot about (biodynamic) wines. Lalou Bize-Leroy is a name you have to know within biodynamic viticulture. It is said that her love for wine was literally spoon-fed to her: shortly after her birth, her father put a few drops of wine over her mouth as a 'Burgundian baptism'. Now that's a nice way to start life ;-). Anne-Claude Leflaive is just as insane a person, unfortunately deceased at the age of 59. Since the beginning of the nineties, she literally had her feet in the ground and was a pioneer in biodynamic viticulture.

If you speak a good word of French, dive into the YouTube archives to find out what these women know about biodynamic wine. Their love for the trade is contagious!

Demeter Seal of Approval

Want to be sure that you are holding a truly biodynamic wine? Then check the Demeter quality mark, which is a good thing. Wines with this quality mark meet strict requirements, such as a minimum use of copper sulphate to prevent moulds and economical use of (green) energy. So you can pour yourself that extra glass with complete peace of mind. Cheers!

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