2 November - More on Biodynamic Wine
Is Biodynamic better? I can think of two current examples which indicate Biodynamism (is that a word?) makes better wine.
Rene Ostertag's Alsace wines used to be notable for the heavy dose of oak he used to apply. He's been 100% biodynamic for the past few years, and Ostertag wines have never been better, having a beautiful ripe, succulent texture balanced by a crisply "mineral" edge.
DeLoach Vineyards in California's Russian River Valley used to be notable for their gernerally harsh, too-acidic, shrill character. Converting their estate vineyards to biodynamic viticulture over the past several years, the wines are already showing a plush, generous, yet still lively feel.
So, is it biodynamic concepts that make better wine, or is it just the extra care and attention required to make biodynamic wine? In the end, frankly, I don't care -- but whatever these guys -- along with great wineries like Movia (Slovenia), COS (Sicily), Wimmer-Czerny (Austria)and Loacker (Italy) are doing, they should just keep doing it.
Rene Ostertag's Alsace wines used to be notable for the heavy dose of oak he used to apply. He's been 100% biodynamic for the past few years, and Ostertag wines have never been better, having a beautiful ripe, succulent texture balanced by a crisply "mineral" edge.
DeLoach Vineyards in California's Russian River Valley used to be notable for their gernerally harsh, too-acidic, shrill character. Converting their estate vineyards to biodynamic viticulture over the past several years, the wines are already showing a plush, generous, yet still lively feel.
So, is it biodynamic concepts that make better wine, or is it just the extra care and attention required to make biodynamic wine? In the end, frankly, I don't care -- but whatever these guys -- along with great wineries like Movia (Slovenia), COS (Sicily), Wimmer-Czerny (Austria)and Loacker (Italy) are doing, they should just keep doing it.
