It's a new year, 2023 and a new month, January named after the roman god Janus symbolizing a look to the past and to the future. How fitting then to talk about biodynamic farming, in our case biodynamic vineyards. Methods of the past that will ensure a better future. Biodynamic farming is an ancient closed loop method of farming that plants and harvests according to the cycle of the moon. It's methods are rooted in the work of philosopher and scientist, Rudolf Steiner. It differs from organic in its lack of pesticides and its emphasis on soil health. The land is viewed as one organism, everything used is recycled back to the earth. The soil itself is treated with nine biodynamic preparations, they are funnily enough numbered 500-508
500- cows horn filled with cow manure and ground quartz 501- horn silica 502- yarrow flower 503- chamomile buds 504- stinging nettles 505- oak bark 506- dandelion flowers 507- valerian 508- horsetail
These preparations sit in the earth for 9 months interacting with the ecosystem of the ground turning them each into rich dynamised components that will be used to fertilize and in some cases spray the vineyard/farm. The result is soil that is extremely nutrient rich, therefore crops that are bursting in flavour. Although biodynamically grown vines don't guarantee good wine. Anyone willing to spend so much time and effort involved in certifying themselves as biodynamic from Demeter must care deeply about the earth and their craft. This leads to some amazing wines like our Demeter certified biodynamic Ciclic, a beautiful garnacha wine that has a bouquet of mature peach and summer red fruit with slight hints of lavender and wet stone with the freshness of the northern terroir.
Hope you try it and love it as much as we do:)