Biodynamic Wine: Terroir in a Glass

Among Biodynamic food products, none have had the commercial success of wine. But what is it about this vintage, esoteric growing practice that produces such complex wine?

For those who know, wine made from biodynamically grown grapes creates an earthy, rich wine that immediately conveys the story of its soil. In my own experience, the first sip transports me just like the perfect ratatouille from the film, and I can feel loamy soil beneath my feet, standing between rows of grapevines rustling in the breeze. It's a sensation I've never experienced with conventional wine (not even organic wines), but one that I repeatedly experience with biodynamic varieties.

What is biodynamic farming?

Biodynamic farming takes a holistic approach to crops, considering the entire environment as a connected loop and encouraging soil biodiversity. It takes into account the nutrition of the plants, providing ways to nourish the soil with biodiverse companion planting, special compost treatments and animal waste fertilisers. Every part of the biome is important, from insects to predators; phases of the moon, positions of planets and meteorological events to farmers and consumers. Sowing, planting, harvesting and pruning are all governed by phases of the moon, times of day, or the energy cycle of the plant itself. Observed plant respiration led to rules about the proper times of the year, month, and even day when the energy of the plant is concentrated in either the roots, the leaves, or the fruit.

German scientist and philosopher, Rudolph Steiner, is considered the father of biodynamics. He first began to research holistic farming practices at the turn of the 20th century. In 1924, he started giving a series of agricultural lectures entitled ‘Spiritual foundations for the renewal of agriculture’ to farmers concerned about declining soil fertility and the effects of increasingly intensive farming. Together with a group of farmers known as the Experimental Circle of Anthroposophical Farmers, they founded a cooperative to test and experiment with different techniques.

By 1928, the Demeter Association was formed, acting as an educational and certification body for biodynamic agriculture. It quickly gained popularity across Europe. Today, Demeter International and its national chapters provide certification standards for biodynamic farming and processing.  There are different regulations set for different types of products, such as agriculture, aquaculture, viticulture and food production. 

If Steiner and his fellow farmers were concerned about the effects of intensive agriculture back in the 1920s, one could only imagine what he would think of our current industrial agriculture practices!  

What’s the difference between biodynamic and organic? 

While both are similar in the idea of natural, chemical-free growing techniques, they are two very different methods. "Organic" has become a rather loose term to denote that a food product is grown without the use of toxic pesticides. However, the approved list of pesticides and chemicals has grown significantly over the years, leading to multiple bodies creating their own certification labels and, unfortunately, degrading the public's trust in all the certifications.

Biodynamic principles go way beyond the foundations of organic, considering the overall health of the entire growing environment, not just the reduction of chemicals. The theory is that by respecting the entire biosphere and actively nourishing the soil microbiome and the plants’ nutrition, you will get the healthiest, most delicious produce. Therefore, anything biodynamic is organic, but not everything organic is biodynamic.

Comparing the two in viticulture

Organic wines have become so common that most grocery shelves offer several options with ‘certified bio’. And as people become more and more aware of the typical chemical content in wine, organic and natural wines are continuing to gain in popularity. As mentioned above, with the rise in the commercial success of organic wine, there has been a rise in the variation of what chemicals are allowed within the finished product. A lot of regulation has been relaxed on the list of approved pesticides and other chemicals, including added sulfites, and, in the case of California organic wine, they often test positive for glyphosate due to the fact that other wineries in proximity are aerial spraying and cross-contaminating. Something would also affect biodynamic farms and vineyards.

This is where biodynamic surpasses organic in cultivation; beyond limiting pesticide use, biodynamic wineries work to build the most robust, healthy soil, ensuring the vines and the surrounding environment produce the happiest, healthiest, and most nutrient-rich grapes possible. On the processing side, a certified biodynamic wine uses naturally occurring yeasts found in the vineyard itself for fermentation, and there are strict limits on added sugar and sulphites. This alone has created a following of people who often suffer from headaches or flushing after drinking conventional wine. 

The biggest reason biodynamic wine is growing in popularity, especially amongst viticulturists, is the taste. A 2021 study of French wine by Magali Delmas, an environmental economist at UCLA Anderson School of Management, and Olivier Gergaud, an economist at the Kedge Business School in Bordeaux, France, found that based on flavor alone, around 6% of wine critics chose organic wine over conventional wine, but over 11% preferred biodynamic wine. It is a market that is growing in France. The same study found that between 1995 and 2000, only 3.87% of French wine was third-party certified (organic or biodynamic). But between 2001 and 2015, it rose to 7.37%. Consistently achieving high points and winning taste awards, biodynamic wines have an undeniable flavor that neither conventional nor organic wines can produce. A deep, rich and earthy terroir is literally in the glass, and people love it.

For those who love wine, the appeal of biodynamics therefore extends beyond a claim of superior taste. It is an approach that asks winegrowers to consider the vineyard as a living ecosystem, to pay close attention to the health of the soil and to take responsibility for the environment in which their grapes grow. Whether or not every bottle delivers a perceptible difference, that philosophy is part of what makes biodynamic viticulture so compelling.