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So... What's up with Biodynamic Farming?

4/7/2014

I studied a little bit on Biodynamics in school, and this past weekend at the store, we did a tasting of all Biodynamic wines- after all is said and done, I really want to be gung-ho on Biodynamics, but the truth is, I'm just not sure I'm totally sold...

I suppose my outlook on Biodynamics is similar to my outlook on lots of things- it's fine to have a core set of values and beliefs, but if you adhere to any set of credences too rigidly, you can go off the rails... And I think that's where I fall on Biodynamic viticulture.

If you aren't super hippy dippy, you may be wondering what Biodynamics is. I'll give it to you in a nutshell, and provide some links to where you can find out more if you're curious. Bear in mind, I'm no expert on the subject, I'm just going with what I already know.

Biodynamics is an agricultural approach founded in the early 1920s in Austria by Rudolf Steiner (who also helped found the first Waldorf Schools. An interesting, probably brilliant, and kooky man.) It views agriculture from a holistic standpoint, treating soil health, plant growth, and livestock as all part of the same big ecosystem (that's the part I really like.) The goal is to let each of those elements feed the other, with limited interruption by humans and no synthetic chemical use.

So, for instance, in a biodynamic vineyard, you would use no synthetic fertilizers (only tea treatments made from manure,) no synthetic pesticides (some oil-based treatments for mold and fungus are ok, as are some other tea-brew concoctions. Bugs and rodents are kept away by encouraging other animals to hang out in the vineyard and eat them!) You'd also likely plant a cover crop to help with re-introduction of nitrogen and other nutrients into the soil, and would have critters like chickens running around eating bugs and fertilizing the soil with their droppings. Actually makes a lot of sense here, right? Well, yes and no. First, this is only really practical in drier areas where rots and molds aren't a huge issue. I'm not saying it can't be done, but the risk of total crop loss is pretty high if you try to do Biodynamic treatments in really wet areas. Scientifically, oils and tea sprays don't work as well as synthetic chemicals. They just don't.

There is scientific evidence to support the idea that the manure teas and fertilization efforts of Biodynamics are very useful, and obviously low-environmental-impact options. Vine nutrition stays pretty much as well balanced on a Biodynamic plan as on a conventional nutrient addition plan. They do a good job! Hooray!
Furthermore, if you're in a low disease and pest area, why not give Biodynamic treatments a whirl? You don't need to be putting nasty chemicals on your plants, so why taint the soil, expose workers to toxins, and mess with an already pretty good system? No reason!

Now... for the stuff I don't really buy wholeheartedly... Biodynamics also has some kind of unusual practices- practices that seem more like religious doctrine than anything, because in many of the scientific journals I've read, there's no science to back them up. (And I like science.) For example, rather than planting, watering, harvesting, pruning, etc, based on a calendar year or on what's actually physically happening with the vine, Biodynamics uses a lunar cycle. Yes, they plant, prune, and harvest according to the cycle of the moon. For real.

Another of the more offbeat practices involves packing a cow horn full of manure and burying it in the vineyard. Now, you can argue that as the horn breaks down, it releases silica into the soil- which, it does- but only in the small area directly surrounding the horn, not into the larger vineyard block. Seems more a superstitious ritual than a scientifically backed agricultural approach.

I think Biodynamic certification also doesn't make sense for many small growers. The rules and regulations regarding Biodynamic certification are even more strident than those for Organic certification because the list of no-no additives is a lot longer. For small wineries, simply taking the time to follow protocol and keep up with the necessary paperwork can make Biodynamics (and Organics) cost and time prohibitive.

"So," you may ask, "why do it?" Well, there's the obvious, selfless, altruistic reasoning of "because I want to leave the planet a cleaner place." And, that's valid for a lot of people. I love the idea. If we all did it, can you imagine what a pristine, healthy, lovely planet we'd have?

But, as so many of us aren't really that nice, why else would a person practice Biodynamics? Well, some wine producers believe that by not messing with a vine's nutrient balance very much, and by not using pesticides and synthetic chemicals, you're allowing the natural soil, sun, and water to affect the flavors in the berry- you're allowing a truer expression of terroir to shine through the fruit.
As you may know, I'm not 100% on the terroir hype bandwagon either, however, I can actually see how this may be true. If you're a regular reader, you know I have a soft spot for small, craft producers who don't aim for a generically uniform product from vintage to vintage- I like that grapes are different from year to year, from season to season, based on weather, disease, water, etc. That's life! We're all affected by these things and I don't think wine should necessarily pretend to be unaffected. By not messing with your vines through chemical additions, you really are giving yourself over to nature in many ways (even though Biodynamics does advocate for a schedule of manure additions.) The grapes will be different from year to year, even from vineyard block to vineyard block. Terroir will be allowed to shine through.
And that, to me, is the difference between the mom-and-pop joint, and the big corporation, right there.

Ultimately, I guess I'm not 100% on team Biodynamics, and if it were my vineyard, I can't imagine I'd go all the way to obtain certification. However, there are enough awesome elements of it that if I lived in the right place, I think it'd be great to try out the elements that work, and to toss the bits that don't (pretty much my mantra on life.)

Any questions? Deeper insight into Biodynamic viticulture or farming? Throw them my way in the comments!

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Is Organic Better?

8/15/2013

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We see lots and lots of things increasingly being labeled as organic. But, what can we infer from this? Is Organic better?

In today’s world, it’s a good idea for us to take better care of the planet. With global warming being a significant threat to agriculture, rising oceans, the extinction of sensitive species, etc, we need to look at what we can do. As a consequence, the words “organic” and “sustainable” get thrown around a lot. Many (I dare say the vast majority) of vineyards are working toward sustainability, using fewer and gentler chemicals on their crops, monitoring water and fuel usage, and trying to increase the effectiveness of their fertilization programs to avoid water contamination. Sustainability, though less easily put into a box than organic, is easier to achieve. In a nutshell, Organic certification means you cannot use synthetic pesticides, insecticides and fertilizers, and this can be a major limitation. It does eliminate harsh chemicals, which keeps the water supply purer. It avoids some contamination of beneficial plants, insects, and animals that might come in contact with it, and also doesn’t leave harsh chemicals in the soil for generations. However it doesn’t necessarily always equal a lower environmental impact. In areas where diseases are a common problem (usually areas with more moisture in the air and more rainfall,) organic farmers must use far more of the organic sprays and pesticides than their sustainable counterparts, because, as a generalization, the organic versions aren’t as effective. This means not only are they putting more chemicals (even if they’re less harsh) into the vineyard, they’re also using more fuel and spending more money making multiple sprays on the crops. Some diseases and pests can also build a tolerance to sprays, and as there are far fewer organic approved pesticides, growers can sometimes back themselves into a corner as their sprays become less and less effective. This is not smart environmentally OR financially.

If you are a grower in a dry, low-disease prone area, then organic may be a viable, smart option for you. Even if you don’t take the many, many steps toward actual organic certification (it’s a PROCESS,) you can consider using organic approved pesticides because you won’t have many sprays to do in a season (maybe not any, for certain diseases and pests.)

You might be wondering what this means for you as a consumer of wine. Ideally, the answer is “not much.” However, I think we’ve all fallen victim to the cleverness of organic marketing. We have grown to associate organic with higher quality. This is not necessarily true with wine. It’s not false, but not unequivocally true. If you see a wine labeled “Organic,” think about where it was made. Did it come from Oregon? Austria, Washington, California (and if so, which part? Mendocino? Lodi?) Think about what you know of the region. Is it warm and dry? Is it cool and moist? The wines from warm, dry areas are probably of similar quality to their non-organic counterparts. However, you might not be able to assume the same of the wines from the cooler, wetter, more disease-prone region. Producers attempting to be organic in these areas will have less non-contaminated fruit to choose from and might have to compromise the quality of the grapes they bring into the winery. This also may drive the price up, as high-quality fruit becomes more scarce in rainy or high-disease seasons.

I’m pretty hippy-dippy about lots of things, and generally want us all to take better care of the planet, however, I also think we all should bear these quality considerations in mind as we read marketing hype. Of course, you can’t 100% assume anything about a wine's quality till you open the bottle and try it! Cheers!

Did You Know?
Due to DNA sequencing, we now know that some grapes with different names are actually the same! Primitivo has been shown to be the same grape as Zinfandel. What many Californians call Fume Blanc is actually Sauvignon Blanc.
The more you know!

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Brrrr! You want to grow grapes where?

4/26/2013

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As we move into spring (though Chicago won't let you believe it,) and grapevines all over the northern hemisphere start to break buds and become active again, it gets you to thinking… Wine grapes are grown in lots of climates where it seems like they shouldn’t be- so how do they do it? How do grapes survive in chilly places like Germany, Austria, New York, and Michigan? If you’re a brave soul trying to plant grapes there, what sorts of things can you do to help?

Well, there are lots of different factors that come into play when it comes to agriculture in general. The first is the concept of a Growing Degree Day. This is basically the measurement of the heat available for growing plants in any given region.

Grapevines have their own GDD requirements, and this varies based on cultivar and even species of grapevine. Before planting a vineyard, growers should look up the GDD for their region and pick their grapes accordingly.

So which vines do best in the cold? Well, remember when we talked about some native American grapevine species being less susceptible to phylloxera? Well, some are similarly better equipped to deal with cold climates and fewer Growing Degree Days. Some vinifera (European) grapevine cultivars are also better equipped than others at dealing with the cold. This includes varietals like Riesling and Cabernet Franc (Chardonnay does ok in cooler climates too.)

However, what if you really don’t want to make wine from Native American grapes? Well, there are hybrids that have been bred between vinifera and native American cultivars with traits like cold hardiness being a prime selection factor- these often have been selected to taste less like the American varietals and more like the vinifera. However, many of them wind up with a pretty heavy vegetal, grassy flavor in whites, and what is referred to as a “foxy” flavor in reds (think of that distinctive concord grape flavor.) So… What else to do?

Well, remember grafting? Some growers will use vinifera plants grafted onto cold-hardy rootstock, depending on their region. Now, these aren’t a guarantee, as the upper part of the vine is still a European cultivar and therefore more susceptible to cold damage, but the below ground portion of the plant will tolerate freezing and bitter cold much better, which can sometimes alleviate some problems.

But, what else?

Well, in some climates, the growers will actually take the vines down off of their growing wires (if you’ve ever seen a vineyard, you’ve likely seen that the vines are trained up onto trellis wires- this is to maximize airflow and sun exposure) and then bury them in the soil for insulation during the winter. This will often protect the plant in that its sensitive buds are protected from the bitter freeze, but it is not always practical as it is extremely expensive- not only do you have to pay someone to take them down and bury them, then they have to dig them back up and re-train them to the wires in the spring (and you can’t outsource that delicate labor to a machine- pure manpower there!)

Watering at the right time after harvest can also help protect the roots from a terrible freeze. The water gets in there and insulates, but you also don’t want to overwater as this can send the wrong message to the vine and delay it from shutting down for the winter!

Site location is also a key factor. Even regions with plenty of GDDs can find themselves in a freezing bind. If your site has gullies or areas where cold air can pool, you can wind up freezing and damaging only a portion of the vines. In which case, it is best to not plant grapes at the bottom of these areas. Planting on a slope so that cold air can sink down and away from the grapes is a smart idea in cool/cold regions. And it is common for vineyards (including many in eastern Washington) to include wind machines to keep things moving in the winter. They’re expensive and do use electricity, but they’ll at least keep the air flowing and from settling and freezing out your plants.

As a side note, the majority of the grapevine structure actually CAN take a lot of cold- it is really the damage to the buds that is crucial. If the buds are damaged down to the innermost point, there’s pretty much no going back and you can lose years and years of growth. Sometimes the vine can be saved by cutting it all the way back to the ground and re-growing it from shoots at the base- in some cases, growers have to pull the entire vine out. Either way, it is a real bummer!

Bodies of water also can provide an insulating effect to vineyards and keep the climate a little warmer than the areas farther from the water. In southwest Michigan, the moisture and warmth retained from Lake Michigan provides enough of a buffer that many vinifera grapes can do pretty well. This is also true of the Finger Lake in upstate New York, and the Loire River in the Loire Valley. Definitely something to bear in mind if you’re looking for vineyard land!

So, while it is often a real fighting battle to grow grapes in cold or cool climates, with the right vinifera cultivar selection, the use of the proper rootstock or hybrid grapes, proper airflow and drainage, and the selection of the right site (no, grapes can’t truly grow anywhere…) then you can bravely wade out into the realm of cold climate viticulture.

Good luck!

Did you know?

Global warming is having a pretty noticeable impact on viticulture. Areas that used to be perfect for one cultivar are having to change their vineyard management strategies to deal with the increasing heat- some are even tearing out and planting different varieties. Conversely, areas that were once not suitable for grapes are becoming more and more desirable. Slate Magazine suggests Montana will be the new viticultural hotspot. Anyone wanna invest with me?

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Vocab- Ampelography!

4/7/2013

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Ampelography:
This word was printed in a description on the back of a bottle at one of our recent Wines of the World meetups, and most of us didn't know what it meant. My cursory response was “basically, it is grapevine genetics. The study of the vine.” That’s pretty much it, in the abridged version. Before we had genetic sequencing, Ampelography started as the study of different physical characteristics from vine to vine, usually focusing on the shape and texture of the plant’s leaves, berry color, etc. In some cases, the vines really do have very differently shaped leaves (I, a novice, after spending about 20 minutes in WSUs research plots was able to recognize that what was labeled on my map as Chardonnay, was in fact, not. Just based on the shape of the leaves.) However, in other cases, the leaves look pretty darn similar and aren’t useful enough to determine the difference between cultivars (or what we drinkers call “varietals.”)

Today, ampelography encompasses more than just looking at the shape of the vine and its parts and has broadened to include genetic studies as well. Just as with people, genetic sequencing and DNA has solved a lot of grapevine mysteries! (What is known as Primitivo turned out to be what Californians have been calling Zinfandel all along!)

And, now you know! Hopefully this will be on your (or my) next pub trivia questionnaire!

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Noble What?!

3/16/2013

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As a general rule, rots and infection in the vineyard are considered a bad, bad thing. Depending on the level of infection, they can cause some serious economic damage.

Botrytis Cinera, a fungal infection can be bad news to a viticulturist, but interestingly, infected grapes can sometimes be desirable for their use in dessert wines. In these cases, it is referred to as “Noble Rot.” The difference between spoilage and nobility here really just depends on the weather conditions late in the growing season.

Botrytis loves moisture and therefore, if there’s too much rainfall or soupy, foggy weather while there are grapes on the vine, botrytis can set in. It is a fungus that necrotizes (eats) flesh, but requires a wound to the berry in order to get in. Therefore, it is more likely to really take hold later in the season, once the berries have sugar in them. Birds and insects come into the vineyard, try to snack on the berries, and then if there’s lots of moisture, the botrytis gets in through the little bite marks.

If things then stay wet in the vineyard, there’s going to be a likely problem with the crop as a white hairy layer will cover the clusters of grapes and the fungus will start to eat the berries' tissue. There ARE different ways in which viticulturists will manage and try to prevent botrytis. The specifics depend on whether the vineyard is sustainable (most are heading this way,) organic, or biodynamic.

However, if after the initial infection, the weather dries out, and it is very close to or exactly at the time of harvest, then this can be a perfect recipe for Noble Rot. In this case, the botrytis will suck the moisture out of the berries, thereby condensing the sugars, acids, and other flavor components in the fruit. Some winemakers will ask the viticulturist to let the infected berries hang on the vine for several days so that they dry out even further. Basically, they’re then making wine from semi-raisined grapes.

It makes for very sweet wines with a specific “noble rot” flavor (I think it tastes a teeny bit like subtle acetone- but in a good way,) which is prized as a delicacy.

Some wines made this way (if you’re curious to try them) are Sauternes from France (probably the best known,) Tokay from Hungary, Spatlese from Germany, and Ausbruch from Austria.

Did you know?
On top of yeast (a fungus’) initial alcoholic fermentation, many wines- especially reds- undergo a second fermentation known as malolactic fermentation in which certain bacteria convert malic acid into lactic acid. This lactic acid has a smoother feel and can take the bite off of a too sour wine.
Fungus, bacteria- yum!

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Lice- Sadly Not Just for Mammals…

1/21/2013

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You may’ve heard somewhere about an epidemic that pretty much eviscerated France’s vineyards when it was introduced in 1868. If not, you’re about to.

First, a little background on the difference between European and American grapes: Both European and (most) American grapevines share the same genus: Vitis. However, European grapes are of the species vinifera, whereas American grapes are of different species such as V. labrusca, V. rupestris, V. riparia and many more.
(Sorry for all the technical botany stuff- it’ll come in handy later, I promise. There will be no exam!)

Phylloxera, a tiny root louse, was introduced when American grapes were taken back to France for experimental planting. It is native to many eastern regions of the US so many American vines have developed enough resistance to keep living and producing fruit (though not truly an immunity as some will suggest.) However, V. vinifera, having evolved in Europe, had no such defenses. So when phylloxera was introduced to France in soil surrounding American vines, the destruction was brutal. By 1900, close to 75% of French vineyards had been severely affected and it had also spread to the rest of Europe, causing a major economic disaster

So, what to do?

Because European wines had come to depend on specific varieties (Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, etc) it wouldn’t really do to just start making wine out of American grapes. They have some significant taste differences (think of the specific flavor of Concords) and much tradition would be lost…
Due to the way grapevines reproduce (I actually won’t go into detail here,) cross breeding between American and European grapes wouldn’t be ideal either- you’d lose the traditional varietal color and flavor characteristics and there’s no way to guarantee that the phylloxera resistance would actually be passed on.

So, that’s where grafting came into play (this totally blew my mind when I first learned of it- and seeing it done in person was awesome.) It is now commonplace to take the roots and below soil portion of an American grapevine and graft it to the upper, fruiting portion of a European variety. Voila! You have a plant that produces yummy, traditional wine grapes on the top, yet has roots that won’t get destroyed by lice! The vast majority of grapevines in Europe (and many in the US) are now rooted on American rootstock! Pretty neat, huh?

Did you know?
Due to the phylloxera epidemic, most states with significant viticulture observe strict quarantine rules and participate in clean breeding programs led by UC Davis. Though many vineyards are not legally required to participate, they are strongly encouraged by state agencies. Washington State has yet to see any significant phylloxera infestation thanks to these efforts. Similarly, Australia has seen little to no infestation and is the only place in the world where Vitis vinifera is commonly grown on its own roots.

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So... What's up with Biodynamic Farming?

Is Organic Better?

Brrrr! You want to grow grapes where?

Vocab- Ampelography!

Noble What?!

Lice- Sadly Not Just for Mammals…

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