WINE NEWS /
Biodynamics in the Vineyard and the Cellar
They
are referred to as “true wines” and are distinctive
because no chemicals are used in their production. Biodynamic
viticulture is characterized by an interest in the personal flair
that a wine absorbs from its terroir over the mark of its producer,
a “harmonic conception” of the cycle of production,
and, above all, an aversion to the pressure of popular tastes
in wine.
Biodynamics is a difficult road
to take – facing antagonistic consolidated interests, modern
oenological culture, the pressure of international preferences,
and even Nature herself, with the diseases that attack vines
all too often – making it less than surprising that reactions
to this philosophy have been primarily negative. What really
sets biodynamics apart is how its followers revitalize lands “tested” for
years with weed-killers and synthetic chemical products. They
have broken away in this respect from the mystical attitude of
the fundamentalists of biodynamics in favor of concrete agronomical
practices based on scientific facts and technical advances in
viticulture.
Since there is still no scientific proof of the superiority of
this system, few wineries follow the official guidelines for
biodynamic production even though they use methods founded on
its basic principles. Biodynamics is a growing but limited phenomenon,
yet it can boast at least one definite virtue: it has sparked
interest in commitment and hard work, in working with the earth
and carefully observing the plants, and, most importantly, in
a reevaluation of methods of cultivation and production.
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