The term "Biodynamic" (now a copyrighted term) refers to an agricultural movement that gained ground in the 1920s and was defined by Dr. Rudolf Steiner, a professor and philosopher from Austria. The goal of Biodynamics© is to get a vineyard, a farmyard or a backyard to be largely self-sustaining, utilizing waste products from one zone as fuel for another area. Vines grown under a Biodynamic© management system, are viewed not as a single "row of vines" but as a small (albeit vital) piece of the whole vineyard structure. It's been said that Biodynamics© look at the vineyard or farm as a "living, breathing organism" itself from the soil to the sun, all striving for a well-balanced ecosystem that is self-sustaining.
Biodynamic© wines and viticultural practices go above and beyond organic farming protocol and maintain a laser focus on soil sustainability and viability via crop rotation, composting, non-chemical interventions for pest management and astronomical cycles to provide continual vineyard input. With such stringent attention to the vineyard's management, it is little wonder that Biodynamic© wines often put forth a wine that speaks of balance, soil and surroundings with more clarity and depth of both aromas and flavors than their conventional counterparts.
Biodynamic© Wine Producers to Try:
Benziger Vineyards
Bonterra Vineyards
Bürklin-Wolf
De Loach
Frey Vineyards
*Frog's Leap
Grgich Hills
Joseph Phelps
Parducci
Quivira Vineyards
*Uses some Biodynamic practices, but is not Demeter certified.
