Our world is a precious place, and sporadically over the past
100 years, there have been movements to recognize how volatile the
earth can react to mankind’s abuse. Dependency on fossil fuels,
global warming and lack of conservation are prevalent in the news
every day
– as they should be.
Our world is a precious place, and sporadically over the past 100 years, there have been movements to recognize how volatile the earth can react to mankind’s abuse. Dependency on fossil fuels, global warming and lack of conservation are prevalent in the news every day – as they should be.
When it comes to wine making, many vineyards are turning to an array of practices that turn back time, a time to when simple farming practices respected the earth and even connected man to the earth.
According to the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance, more than 1,100 vineyards are assessing the sustainability of their farms and reducing the amount of chemical pesticides that are being used. In Oregon, vineyards have been even more proactive. More than 20 percent of the planted vine-acres have been certified as biodynamic, organic or sustainable. By the end of 2007, that percentage could reach as high as 30 percent.
So, what is the difference between the three designations: sustainable, organic and biodynamic?
n Sustainable: This practice focuses on social and ecological responsibility, but also allows the farmer to have flexibility to do whatever works best for his/her individual vineyard.
Common practices include conserving water, composting, minimizing the use of chemicals (always trying to use the least toxic), use of cover crops, birds for insect control, etc. Certification can come from local or regional programs, but there are no national standards that apply to everyone.
n Organic: This certification encompasses the same practices as sustainable farms, but do not allow the use of herbicides or pesticides. Back in 2002, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) implemented the National Organic Program (NOP) to clarify what foods and beverages could be declared “organic,” thus imposing fines to anyone making false claims on the authenticity of the product.
For a vineyard to be certified, it must go three years without use of synthetic chemicals. An annual inspection occurs thereafter. Besides the regulations in the vineyard, this also carries over into production of the wine. Wineries must use approved processing ingredients or agents and non-organic material cannot come into contact with the organic grapes.
n Biodynamic: This was a holistic approach to farming that was created by a scientist named Rudolf Steiner in the 1920s. The vineyard is truly seen as an “organism.” Besides incorporating the basic premises of sustainable and organic farming, biodynamic farming goes a few steps further.
For example, biodynamic methods go through various stages of preparation. Treatments and composts made from manures, herbs and minerals are applied to the vineyard to promote the control of pests and plant fertility.
In one specific example, cow manure is stuck into the horns of cows, which are then buried in the ground at approximately 50 centimeters.
The horns are buried during the autumn solstice, and after decomposing a bit, are uncovered after winter. The manure is removed, mixed with a certain amount of recycled water and then sprayed onto the soil to regulate the nitrogen content and promote the growth of microbial life. This is just one of the eight preparations that are done to the soil and the compost used in the field. The holistic approach says the vineyard must unite the elemental states of matter and follow the natural rhythms of the earth. The unification of these forces is what produces the balance between animals, minerals and plants. Certification is overseen by an international body called the Demeter Association.
Many claim that the wine tastes better when made from organic and biodynamic vineyards. While there is no scientific evidence to prove this claim, the vineyards do boast that this approach is more authentic, leading to wines that express the natural essence of the land and climate – the terroir.
Efforts to protect our environment are being done at other levels, including the use of solar power, recycling post-consumer waste, using biodiesel fuel and reclaiming waste water to irrigate their vines.
Finally, natural environments – complete with farm animals, trees and wild grasses – are taking the place of the well-manicured vineyard. In recent times, vineyards would remove any plant material that might compete with the vines struggling for water and nutrients. Adversely, over time, this would rob the soil of carbon and organic material that supports the microorganisms needed to keep the soil rich and the vines healthy.
The movement toward greener practices in the vineyard is summed up by the philosophy that a well-balanced environment will create a well-balanced wine.
Cheers!
