What is biodynamic wine?
Biodynamic wine is a type of wine produced using biodynamic farming practices, which is a holistic and spiritual approach to agriculture that considers the farm as a self-sustaining ecosystem. It involves using preparations made from herbs, minerals, and animal manures to enhance soil fertility and increase crop health, as well as following lunar and cosmic rhythms in planting and harvesting.
What is the difference between Biodynamic Wine and Organic Wine?
Biodynamic viticulture uses all the practices of organic winemaking such as avoiding the use of synthetic chemicals, pesticides, and fertilisers. However the aim of biodynamic farming is to produce wine with a unique sense of place, that reflects the character of the land and the local environment.
Two factors distinguish biodynamic winemaking from organic wine: the use of herbal sprays and composting techniques for the soil, known as ‘preparations’; and the timing of the operations on the vines, which is strictly regulated by the cycles of the moon.
How is Biodynamic Wine made?
This means that on top of avoiding chemicals and additives, biodynamic winemakers try to achieve a balanced vineyard ecosystem using techniques and tools derived from the vineyard itself, and incorporate the phases of the moon for optimum growth & development.
The lunar cycle breaks down the production process into four periods: flower days, fruit days, root days and leaf days.
Biodynamic Wine Australia
At its heart, biodynamics is a supercharged version of organic farming, and together, biodynamic and organic viticulture have become much more common in the past few decades. Still, only a small proportion of Australian vineyards are being farmed this way.
Sounds a little mystical, doesn’t it? But guess what? Many of the great estates in the world, including some of the finest producers of Burgundy and Bordeaux, have made the switch and fully converted to biodynamic winemaking.
