Bio-curious: Biodynamic Winemaking
It sounds idyllic. A farming style that celebrates and encourages the vines growing amongst their natural cousins: herbs and flowers and grasses and even what we often call ‘weeds’. It conjures up images of a secret garden, one that existed millennia before 80’s hairstyles ever poked a hole in the ozone and mechanized factory farming became the norm. And it is idyllic if you enjoy the idea of drinking wines made in the most ecologically protective, diverse and consciously natural way. We very much do.
Biodynamic winemakers approach every step of the process differently. They encourage local insects, honey bees, and snails to thrive and contribute to the biome—preventing single super-predators from taking over as is often the case when the land is stripped down to a single crop. They forgo the conveniences of mechanization as well. In Sierra de Gredos, Marc Isart of Bernabeleva is growing in plots that aren’t accessible by machinery—for tilling the land he uses a local mule—important because it keeps the chemical residues a tractor would give off away from the vines.
They follow the lunar cycle, which makes sense when you think of the incredible forces the moon places on our oceans—raising and lowering the tides. It’s a call back to old-fashioned farming straight out of the Almanac. The cycles dictate when to prune and when to harvest—a vibe that’s more than just a vibe.
You might expect the pages of our wine list dedicated to biodynamic wines to be filled with niche wines you’ve never heard of, wines made only in small batches and from smaller plots of land. Often this will be true. We are celebrating a holistic farmer’s wine here after all. But it is also true that some of the most famous wines in the world are biodynamically farmed: like ‘Cristal‘ from Champagne, and Gramona—the maker of some of the most incredible Cava Spain has to offer.
It all sounds so complicated…but is it? There’s something reassuring about every decision coming down to a simple question: how can I help the earth make the healthiest grapes?
Our wine list pages are filled with wines that are made with that simple question in mind. They’re natural and expressive and diverse. Joni Mitchell must be so proud.
