Biodynamic wine is weird. In theory it’s just an extension of the principles of natural wine making. First proposed in the 20s it originally seemed to make a lot of sense: maintaining high soil fertility to maximise nutrient availability; creating self-sustaining farming systems that function as their own ecosystems, further reducing the need for unnatural intervention. This ensured that the land used for agriculture remains fertile and useable for future generations. Modern-day biodynamics are based on these principles.
Our current agricultural system is in drastic need of change and understanding the interconnectedness of soils, animals and crops is a step in the right direction. But some biodynamic wine makers take these practices, surround them with healing crystals, light some sage and give the grapes star signs. According to Maria Thun, an authority on biodynamic growing, the lunar calendar can make a difference to the way you grow grapes, make wine and even how you drink it. Every day can be categorised as a fruit day, flower day, leaf day and root day, as determined by the lunar cycle. Wine supposedly tastes better on fruit or flower days. Biodynamic practices get weirder though. Some farmers go as far as to fill cow horns with manure and bury hundreds of them in the vineyard, months later they are unearthed, the manure removed and mixed with water to be used as a liquid fertiliser. Nick Wenman is a UK wine maker that goes to these lengths and claims that
"the horns are from female cows as they are the most fertile animals and they absorb the cosmic influences"
Sick.
I was, and still am, sceptical of this kind of winemaking. Not the underlying principles emphasising a symbiotic relationship with nature, but the grape voodoo that seems to be going on in certain vineyards. Others share my concern. In 2017 a study was published to scientifically test whether the lunar cycle could influence the taste of a wine. The final paragraph of the article begins:
"In conclusion, the findings reported in the present study provide no evidence in support of the notion that how a wine tastes is associated with the lunar cycle"
Not a particularly promising result for proponents of biodynamics.
Focussing on the most extreme kind of natural wine making misses the point and draws attention away from what natural wine making really is and why it’s exciting. At its core natural wine making is environmentally aware and recognises the damage industrial agriculture can cause to the land and the product being produced. Natural wine makers are working to find and revive alternative methods to create wines that are less reliant on chemical additives and focus more on the natural processes that occur at all stages of wine production. Independent wine makers are creating something new, collaborating with other creatives (why do you think all the labels are so cool), working with independent shops and generally spreading good vibes. A big positive is that the wine tastes good too (although to some it’s an acquired taste, but they’re probably wrong).
Natural wines are at the forefront of a pretentious alcohol trend; but that’s okay. I say this because at its core there are groups of truly passionate wine makers that aren’t just following a trend and that believe in low intervention techniques and wine shops that know the who, when and where of natural wine making and can give you the hook up. Most importantly there’s an understanding that using wine making and agricultural techniques that minimise the damage we are doing to the planet can be pretty fucking cool.