A Complex Nose with Subtle Hints of Poo
Burgundy is mad for a new kind of winemaking whose secret ingredient is cow dung
Nine years ago, the prestigious 289-year-old Burgundy winery Domaine Leflaive hosted a blind taste test of two of its wines. To be exact, the tasters, from the London wine merchant Corney & Barrow, were comparing two samples of the same wine: the 1996 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Clavoillon. But one was made with organic grapes, the other with grapes grown using biodynamism, a method that's gaining popularity in wine circles -- although even its advocates will admit it sounds like something out of a Wiccan manual. Growers following one preparation are instructed to pack manure in a cow horn and bury it among the vines during the fall, dig it up in the spring and stir in rainwater vigorously for an hour, then apply it to the land after 3 p.m. The result: better grapes, apparently.
The technique doesn't sound as if it should work, but Domaine Leflaive's biodynamic Puligny-Montrachet passed the all-important taste test. Twelve of the 13 tasters preferred it to the regular wine. That year, the whole vineyard switched to biodynamism. Others have followed suit. In 1990, six grape growers in France used the method. Now, more than 100 respected wine producers in six countries practise it, including Jean-Marc Brocard, Josmeyer and M. Chapoutier in France; Benziger Family Winery in the U.S.; and the Massa Vecchia winery in Italy. North America has joined the movement late and Canada, in particular, is a slower adopter, with just one certified biodynamic grower -- Feast of Fields. But word of mouth is fuelling the trend.
The idea of biodynamism dates back to eight lectures delivered by the Austrian mystic Rudolf Steiner in the 1920s. Steiner, a well-known scientist, philosopher and self-proclaimed clairvoyant who also founded the Waldorf school, was speaking to German farmers worried about the effects of fertilizers on their crops. He advised them to nurture their land toward optimal health by applying eight basic animal-, mineral- and vegetable-based preparations, which he numbered 500 through 507, at specific times based on the moon's movement. His ideas took hold.
Biodynamism, like organic farming, rejects artificial pesticide use and tries to minimize damage to ecosystems, but, biodynamic growers also use preparations to harness natural forces. The cow horn in the preparation described above, for instance, acts as an antenna, funnelling power into the soil.
In France, biodynamism is gaining acceptance in Alsace and the Loire valley, and even in venerable Burgundy. That may seem surprising, but the latter region suffers from serious soil erosion due to centuries of grape growing and decades of pesticide use, and is losing market share to chardonnay and pinot noir from the New World and elsewhere. A method that promises to repair the soil and infuse wine with regional flavours, known as terroir, holds tremendous appeal. It's hard to get a clear count of biodynamic producers, because they don't all market it as such. Some fear being associated with a fad and others want the freedom to treat vines when necessary. In Alsace, Olivier Humbrecht, winemaker of Domaine Zind-Humbrecht, has been practising biodynamism quietly for nearly 10 years. He says it yields healthier vines and grape skins, important for wine flavour and structure. And his wine is stellar.
There's certainly resistance to biodynamism, especially among larger, wealthier producers. One director of a top Bordeaux château called biodynamic viticulture "a giant prominent intellectual swindle." Another referred to it as "a cult." Their skepticism is not unmerited. The science of biodynamism is vastly unproven; no credible study shows it changes grapes in any way, though its organic aspect may create better soil, vines and fruit than conventional farming. And some argue biodynamic growers are closer to their vines than more conventional farmers and this attention pays off.
Still, biodynamism has its appeal. It offers authenticity in an age in which wines are more generic worldwide due to reliance on commercial yeasts and a handful of grape varieties. Some consumers will choose biodynamic wine over others and perhaps even pay more for it one day. Right now, they don't have to. Despite being labour-intensive and expensive to produce, biodynamic wine doesn't cost more than conventionally produced bottles of the same quality. You can't say the same for tomatoes.
By Carolyn Hammond, Maclean's
Nine years ago, the prestigious 289-year-old Burgundy winery Domaine Leflaive hosted a blind taste test of two of its wines. To be exact, the tasters, from the London wine merchant Corney & Barrow, were comparing two samples of the same wine: the 1996 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Clavoillon. But one was made with organic grapes, the other with grapes grown using biodynamism, a method that's gaining popularity in wine circles -- although even its advocates will admit it sounds like something out of a Wiccan manual. Growers following one preparation are instructed to pack manure in a cow horn and bury it among the vines during the fall, dig it up in the spring and stir in rainwater vigorously for an hour, then apply it to the land after 3 p.m. The result: better grapes, apparently.
The technique doesn't sound as if it should work, but Domaine Leflaive's biodynamic Puligny-Montrachet passed the all-important taste test. Twelve of the 13 tasters preferred it to the regular wine. That year, the whole vineyard switched to biodynamism. Others have followed suit. In 1990, six grape growers in France used the method. Now, more than 100 respected wine producers in six countries practise it, including Jean-Marc Brocard, Josmeyer and M. Chapoutier in France; Benziger Family Winery in the U.S.; and the Massa Vecchia winery in Italy. North America has joined the movement late and Canada, in particular, is a slower adopter, with just one certified biodynamic grower -- Feast of Fields. But word of mouth is fuelling the trend.
The idea of biodynamism dates back to eight lectures delivered by the Austrian mystic Rudolf Steiner in the 1920s. Steiner, a well-known scientist, philosopher and self-proclaimed clairvoyant who also founded the Waldorf school, was speaking to German farmers worried about the effects of fertilizers on their crops. He advised them to nurture their land toward optimal health by applying eight basic animal-, mineral- and vegetable-based preparations, which he numbered 500 through 507, at specific times based on the moon's movement. His ideas took hold.
Biodynamism, like organic farming, rejects artificial pesticide use and tries to minimize damage to ecosystems, but, biodynamic growers also use preparations to harness natural forces. The cow horn in the preparation described above, for instance, acts as an antenna, funnelling power into the soil.
In France, biodynamism is gaining acceptance in Alsace and the Loire valley, and even in venerable Burgundy. That may seem surprising, but the latter region suffers from serious soil erosion due to centuries of grape growing and decades of pesticide use, and is losing market share to chardonnay and pinot noir from the New World and elsewhere. A method that promises to repair the soil and infuse wine with regional flavours, known as terroir, holds tremendous appeal. It's hard to get a clear count of biodynamic producers, because they don't all market it as such. Some fear being associated with a fad and others want the freedom to treat vines when necessary. In Alsace, Olivier Humbrecht, winemaker of Domaine Zind-Humbrecht, has been practising biodynamism quietly for nearly 10 years. He says it yields healthier vines and grape skins, important for wine flavour and structure. And his wine is stellar.
There's certainly resistance to biodynamism, especially among larger, wealthier producers. One director of a top Bordeaux château called biodynamic viticulture "a giant prominent intellectual swindle." Another referred to it as "a cult." Their skepticism is not unmerited. The science of biodynamism is vastly unproven; no credible study shows it changes grapes in any way, though its organic aspect may create better soil, vines and fruit than conventional farming. And some argue biodynamic growers are closer to their vines than more conventional farmers and this attention pays off.
Still, biodynamism has its appeal. It offers authenticity in an age in which wines are more generic worldwide due to reliance on commercial yeasts and a handful of grape varieties. Some consumers will choose biodynamic wine over others and perhaps even pay more for it one day. Right now, they don't have to. Despite being labour-intensive and expensive to produce, biodynamic wine doesn't cost more than conventionally produced bottles of the same quality. You can't say the same for tomatoes.
By Carolyn Hammond, Maclean's
posted by James at 11:27 PM
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