Bees and goats have more to do with wine than you would imagine. It is with their help that the purest wine is created. And here is an article, from Lauren Barnard, all about Biodynamic wine.
WHAT IS BIODYNAMIC WINE?
Biodynamic wine is produced more or less within a self-sustaining system. It functions wholly and holistically without outside or unnatural processes brought in for support. For example, flora that attracts disease-fighting insects is planted on areas of the vineyard to bring in the good bugs to control vine-ruining pests. Cows and other animals are on site to help make compost, used as vineyard fertilizer. Goats, with their affinity for snacking, can aid in ridding the vineyard’s weeds instead of a lawn mower. And so it goes.
IS BIODYNAMIC WINE ANOTHER PASSING TREND?
Considering that the early practices of Biodynamic farming have been around as long as there’s been farming (which is a really long time), it shouldn’t really be classified as a trend. It’s more a back-to-basics wine production approach.
A true Biodynamic vineyard has to create a symbiotic relationship between organisms to foster a thriving equilibrium that supports quality grape production. It takes a huge amount of intuition and care from producers to make all of the pieces come together successfully.
While synthetic fertilizers and unnatural practices may create short-term gains, they arguably lead to irreversible destruction of the wines in the long term. Poor-quality grapes produce poor-quality wines, and this is why many producers are turning back to Biodynamic.
HOW DOES BIODYNAMIC WINE TASTE?
When all of the natural systems are in harmony, Biodynamic viticulture produces arguably the most “true terror” wines in the world. In other words, they are delicious! Biodynamic wines generally have great complexity, are highly aromatic, and have nuances even in the mouth feel that are one-of-a kind. For wine lovers wanting to expand your palettes, Biodynamic wine is a must try.