This is the final installation in my ‘blog series’ about the rise of organic and biodynamic practices in the world of wine. Want to learn more? Join me for my upcoming Yoga & Wine retreats to Napa & Italy which feature visits to some of the wineries that I discuss here in person.
From Sky to Earth
Many winemakers, both in the US and abroad, are taking organic one step further and embracing biodynamics, the viticulture system based on the teachings of Austrian philosopher Rudolf Steiner in the early 1920’s. The methods, like burying cow horns filled with dung in the vineyard and planting based on the cycle of the moon, have certainly raised eyebrows. While proponents of biodynamics swear by the results, critics call the heavy reliance on astrology and the odd methods pseudoscience, voodoo or simply a hoax. (more…)
This is part two in a 3 part ‘blog series’ about the rise of organic and biodynamic practices in the world of wine in honor of Earth Day! Check in later in the week for more about this growing trend. Want to check out some of these wineries for yourself? Join me for my upcoming Yoga & Wine retreats to Napa & Italy which feature visits to some of the wineries that I discuss here in person.
Daydream Believer
Farming organically was not a marketing decision for self-described “daydream believer” Robert Sinskey, owner of Robert Sinskey Vineyards in the Napa Valley. More natural techniques just seemed to fit with his dream of making beautiful wines in a place where his children could play in the vineyards without exposure to pesticides. “We began farming organically as a reaction to the phylloxera blight of the 1980s.” says Sinskey. “We looked at our naked, compacted soils and decided conventional farming was flawed on many levels. We felt it was just plain irresponsible to work with toxic materials when homes are so close to vineyards. I live in the vineyards with my family and I did not want to fear for the health of my children.” (more…)
This is part one in a 3 part ‘blog series’ about the rise of organic and biodynamic practices in the world of wine in honor of Earth Day! Check in next week for more about this growing trend. Want to check out some of these wineries for yourself? Join me for my upcoming Yoga & Wine retreats to Napa & Italy which feature visits to some of the wineries that I discuss here in person.
Bottled Poetry
It’s a crisp morning in early spring at the northern end of the Napa Valley. The vineyard floors form a steep amphitheater, blanketed with yellow mustard, and the air is cold enough that I can see my breath. Jerry Seps, the down to earth proprietor of Storybook Mountain Vineyard, is dressed in jeans and a cowboy hat and standing in front of me at the edge of a row of still dormant vines. As he talks about the vines the pride in his land is evident on his face. (more…)
One of my favorite winery stops this weekend has been Robert Sinskey Vineyards on the Silverado Trail. I wanted to learn a bit more about natural winemaking and Robert Sinskey Vineyards is one of the very few wineries that is both certified organic and Demeter certified biodynamic. While organic basically means ‘nothing but the grapes’, biodynamics is all about creating a balanced, whole ecosystem. In biodynamic agriculture, you recognize that the soil is alive and do everything in your power to keep the soil happy and balanced. It is based on following the rhythms of nature, including planting according to the position of the moon and stars and using homemade natural preparations instead of fertilizers and pesticides. Is this something new? Pseudoscience? Not at all. It is really just a ‘back to the basics’ approach to winemaking. (more…)
When something has remained the same since the beginning of civilization, like the knowledge about when to plant and how to harvest that farmers have passed down from one generation to the next, it seems like it might be best to pay attention. However, something changed after World War I. In a rush to modernize, farmers began forgoing the methods of the forefathers and turning to pesticides and ‘modern techniques’. The old peasant ways began to seem old-fashioned and inefficient. While the ‘modern’ way of farming provided greater yields and reduced the work load for farmers, it also robbed the soil of nutrients and produced food and wine that was full of chemicals. Enter biodynamic farming. (more…)
Green is the new black these days, so it’s no surprise that there is a growing demand for not only organic foods, but also organic wines. I spoke with Adam Morganstern, editor in chief of the Organic Wine Journal to learn more about this growing trend. “People are becoming more aware of where their foods and the ingredients that they see on a menu are coming from” he said “and this is beginning to translate to the wine list.” Just as it is becoming more common to sit down to a menu that lists not only the varietal of the pear that is in your salad, but also the name of the farmer that grew it, it makes sense that diners would want to know what exactly is in that bottle of wine that they are ordering. (more…)
