Raise a Glass to Biodynamic Wines

Confession: I wish I was a wine snob, but I'm not. You could blindfold me, and I could tell you the difference between red and white, but that's about it. I do, however, love wine. And a lack of knowledge means I tend to approach wine tasting with no expectations. I either like it or I don't, end of story.

While I work on my ability to discern between Syrah and Merlot, I also want to discover how vineyards incorporate sustainability. Grapes, especially those that are imported, are often treated heavily with pesticides. And as Grist points out, wine is beginning to take the same tragic turn that so many other foods have taken over the last few decades: It's becoming increasingly globalized, homogenized and corporatized.

Enter the biodynamic winery. At first glance, biodynamic farming seems a little odd. I tend to find any practice integrating astrology and lay lines completely bizarre. But the essence of biodynamic agriculture sets a high standard for sustainability. The soil, the grapes, the vines, and the surrounding flora and fauna are all taken into account at biodynamic vineyards, and even the folks at Food and Wine magazine seem to think biodynamic wines are worth more than just a taste.

There is a subtle difference between organic wines and wines made with organic grapes. This difference concerns not only the absence of pesticides and other ingredients, but also the presence of sulfites, which are preservatives that can cause allergic reactions for some consumers.

In contrast, Biodynamic wineries are more dedicated to the land on which the grapes are raised. Biodynamic viticulture views the soil as a living organism. Its principles involve a deliberate combination of crop rotation and applications of compost and organic manure, as well as planting diversified crops rather than monoculture gardening, or combining crop plantings in a way that enhances the soil and supports surrounding crops. Because biodynamic farmers are mostly concerned with the health of the land and the soil, they use preparations in lieu of pesticides, which are made of common medicinal plants like yarrow and chamomile to "ferment" the soil. Some aficionados compare the work of the preparations to adding yeast to dough.

I'll admit it, I'm wooed by the process itself. Taking soil into consideration is a key step in sustainable agriculture—you can't grow anything on overtaxed land. But if anyone out there knows more about wine than I do, help me out: Check out this master list of biodynamic wines and let me know the verdict. Can you taste which ones are better than others?

Photo via Flickr.