What does Biodynamic mean?
Biodynamic wine comes from organic farming that treats the estate as a whole, with its own preparations and a planting calendar, often certified by Demeter.
Also known as: Biodynamic wine, Biodynamic farming
Biodynamic wine comes from vineyards farmed according to biodynamic principles. The basis is organic farming, but biodynamics goes further and sees the estate as a single organism in which soil, plants, animals and people are connected. The ideas go back to a course given by the philosopher Rudolf Steiner in 1924.
On top of the organic rules, biodynamic growers use special preparations, for example cow manure stored in cow horns in the ground and ground quartz sprayed in very small amounts, as well as herbal preparations in the compost. Many plan their work by a planting calendar based on the movements of the moon and planets. The scientific basis for the preparations and calendar is debated, while the focus on soil health and biodiversity is what many growers emphasise.
The term is not regulated in EU law. Producers who want to label a wine biodynamic are certified by a private organisation, mainly Demeter or Biodyvin. Since biodynamic farming requires organic farming, certified wines are almost always EU organic as well. Demeter also has its own rules for the cellar.
Biodynamic tells you about the farming philosophy behind the wine, not about a particular style or taste.