Biodynamic Wines Have Gone Mainstream. Here's What You Should Know

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The process sounds like wine grape growing combined with a bit of witchcraft. Biodynamic farming practices are guided by astrological charts, involve herbal preparations said to regulate the moon’s forces on water, and include burying cow horns filled with manure deep into the ground to revitalize the earth’s energies. Think organic farming taken to New Age heights.

As esoteric some of this may sound, biodynamic practices are increasingly becoming mainstream, from Burgundy to the Napa Valley.

The approach was developed in the 1920s by Rudolf Steiner. This Austrian philosopher created a school of thought called anthroposophy, which sought to connect spiritual concepts with the scientific world.

The basis of biodynamics was formed by Steiner in a series of agricultural lectures in 1924. The idea was to think of a farm as an organism unto itself, one that harnesses the widest variety of life forces. Now, many respected wine growers rely on biodynamics to cut down on the use of chemical pesticides, enhance the vitality of soils and promote energy efficiency.

By Chris Macias
12-18-2020
Source and complete article by: sfchronicle.com