Eco friendly wine can be a difficult topic to understand. What makes a wine actually sustainable? What are biodynamic wineries actually doing? Do organics help the environment? These slides are from a session to help clarify the nature of eco friendly winemaking.

1. W I N E ' S E C O - E V A N G E L I S T S
S A V I N G T H E W O R L D O N E G L A S S A T A T I M E

2. W H A T I S A N E C O - E V A N G E L I S T ?

3. E C O
Short for Ecology/Ecological. Referring to the
interaction between humans (wine lovers) and our
environment.
E V A N G E L I S T
Used in the less common context of simply
someone who advocates or promotes an idea
enthusiastically. Not the more common religious
uses.

4. U N D E R S T A N D I N G T H E
R E L A T I O N S H I P B E T W E E N
I D E O L O G I E S I N P U R E F O R M
Modern vs. Historic Agriculture
Sustainability Biodynamics
Modern Historic
Organics

5. U N D E R S T A N D I N G T H E
R E L A T I O N S H I P B E T W E E N
I D E O L O G I E S I N R E A L I T Y
Sustainability
Biodynamics
Organics

6. H I S T O R Y O F
A G R I C U L T U R E
• Three Main Phases in History
of Agricultural Technology.
• Agricultural Revolution
(Around 10,000 BCE)
• Industrial Revolution (Around
mid 18th to mid 19th century)
• Green Revolution (About
WWII to mid 1970's)
• Green revolution

7. H I S T O R Y O F T H E
E C O - M O V E M E N T S
• Beginning of 20th century
reacting to the changes from
industrial revolution.
• Largely seeking to return to
historic and traditional
agricultural models.
• Related to concerns about
safety, disconnection from
land, uneasiness about new
techniques among other
reasons.

8. H I S T O R Y O F
O R G A N I C S
• Early organics movements
were some of the earliest Eco-
movements.
• Early organics movements
sought to return to agriculture
pre-synthetic fertilizers,
pesticides, etc.
• Due to nature of many historic
agricultural practices many
early organic movements
focused heavily on philosophy.

9. H I S T O R Y O F
B I O D Y N A M I C S
• Created from principals of Rudolph
Steiner and his Philosophies related
the Anthroposophy.
• Started with lectures given in 1924.
• Developed following Steiner's death
by members of the the
Anthroposophical Society and
pathetic Goetheanum.
• Movement spun off to form Demeter
around 1928
• Arguably the earliest remaining
Organic movement.

10. G O A L S O F E C O -
I D E O L O G I E S

11. C O M M O N
G O A L S
• The Promotion of
Environmentally friendly
vineyard practice.
• To minimize ecological
harm or repair the
environment.
• The difference is in the
delivery.

12. G O A L S O F
S U S T A I N A B I L I T
Y
• Sustainability is a vague and
often undefined term.
• The difference between true
Sustainable Viticulture and
"Sustainable Viticulture" is
important.
• For true sustainability the goal is
to create a business that
operates in a manner conducive
to the continued well being of the
business, its employees and the
environment.

13. G O A L S O F
O R G A N I C S
• In its modern for Organics is
ultimately based around the
elimination of synthetic
chemicals in viticulture.
• **Organics does not imply
natural**
• This modern form evolved as a
quantifiable technique. As
mentioned previously early
organics were simply based on
pre-green or industrial revolution
agricultural methods.

14. G O A L S O F
B I O D Y N A M I C S
• Can be described two ways.
• The goal is ultimately to
increase biodiversity through the
use of natural composts, sprays
and other practices.
• In strict terms of anthroposophy
the goal is to promote harmony
in the life forces of living
organisms and channel the
energies of the universe to
create a healthier vineyard.

15. P R A C T I C E S I N S U S T A I N A B I L I T Y
I N - D E P T H

16. R E N E W A B L E E N E R G Y

17. W A T E R C O N S E R V A T I O N

18. I N T E G R A T E D P E S T M A N A G E M E N T
( I P M )

19. C O V E R C R O P U S A G E

20. W I N E R Y D E S I G N
• LEED (Leadership in
Energy and
Environmental
design).
• Gravity fed wineries
• Underground/Geoth
ermal Barrel cellars

21. V I N E Y A R D M A N A G E M E N T

22. P A C K A G I N G
• The two largest determinant of a
wines environmental footprint have
nothing to do with the wine making
process.
• Packaging is one of these.
• The weight of the packaging relative
to volume will cause increases or
decreases in carbon emissions.
• The shape and packing efficiency will
also determine the environmental
impact of transportation.
• The material and style will determine
the environmental impact of
producing the item itself.

23. T R A N S P O R T A T I O N
• As an agricultural product
most wine must travel to its
destination.
• As a luxury product these
destinations greatly influence
the environmental impact of a
given wine.
• In most typical situations
container ships are the most
efficient followed by trains,
trucks and finally aircraft.
• The entire supply chain must
be taken into account.

24. U N D E R S T A N D I N G O R G A N I C S
I N - D E P T H

25. O R G A N I C
R E Q U I R E M E N T S
• A giant mix of varying
requirements.
• Difficult to regulate in the winery.
• General rule across organics is
auditing of vineyard practices by
an independent organization.
• Primary concern in almost all
cases is the use of synthetic
chemicals and prohibited
practices.

26. O R G A N I C M E T H O D S
• Organics exists as a huge
spectrum.
• On one end is ultra traditional
agriculture such as
biodynamics.
• At the other is the "marketing
organics".
• Somewhere in the middle we
find a happy combination of
Organics incorporating
modern scientific methods
and sustainability.

27. W H A T T O D O W I T H O U T T H E
S P R A Y S ?
• Trick Question
• The level of spray usage varies by climate, vineyard
management and disease pressure.
• Most common are copper and sulfur based sprays such as
the lime and copper sulfate based Bordeaux Mixture.
• Many other biological control methods exist.
• For insect control sometimes deterring can be as effective
as eliminating.

28. P R O S A N D C O N S O F O R G A N I C S
• Pros
• Potentially less chemical
pollution.
• No pesticide residues in
finished wine.
• Increased health of soil
microbiology.
• Less ecosystem disruption.
• Cons
• Can be expensive
• Can be potentially more
polluting than conventional
farming.
• Increased risks
• Most methods preventative
very little help for
established problems.

29. B I O - D Y N A M I C S
I N - D E P T H

30. B I O D Y N A M I C S
C E R T I F I C A T I O N
• Demeter International overseas the
vast majority of biodynamics
certification.
• Biodyvin is a smaller organization
based in France formed with a focus
on wine.
• Focus on Demeter as major certifying
body.
• The primary requirements to be
certified biodynamic are to be
certified organic and to farm using the
compost and spray preparations.

31. B I O D Y N A M I C P R A C T I C E S

32. B I O D Y N A M I C P R E P A R A T I O N S
• 9 Preparations required as
part of biodynamic farming.
• Numbered 500-508
• 501 and 508 are sprays for the
plant.
• 500 and 502-507 are for the
soil and compost.
• 500: Cow Manure burried in
Cow horn over winter.
• 501: Ground Quartz burried.
Spring to fall in cow horn.
• 502: Yarrow flower heads
fermented in stag's bladder.
• 503: Chamomile flowers buried
in soil.
• 504: Stinging nettle tea.
• 505: oak bark fermented in the
skull of a domestic animal.
• 506: Dandelion flowers in
Cattle's colon.
• 507: Valerian flower juice.
• 508: Horsetail tea.

33. D Y N A M I Z A T I O N
• Given that biodynamics is
based on anthroposophy the
importance of the spiritual
science or energy cannot be
bypassed.
• In the process of
dynamization the goal is to
imbue the memory or energy
of a substance into a larger
quantity of water to then be
sprayed.
• Must be sprayed within 2-3
hours of dynamization.

34. B I O D Y N A M I C
C A L E N D A R S
• Several
biodynamic/lunar/cosmic
calendars exist.
• In wine the most commonly
used is the Maria Thun
Biodynamic Calendar.
• Now created by her son
Matthias.
• Other calendars created by
national biodynamics
organizations and other
practitioners.

35. U S I N G T H E
C A L E N D A R S
• Designed to translate the natural
rhythms and energies in useable
practices.
• Two main considerations
ascending or descending moon.
• Fruit, Root, Flower and Leaf
days.
• Based largely on the position of
the moon within the
constellations.

36. A N T H R O P O S O P H Y
• The philosophical movement started by Rudolph Steiner in the early
1900's
• Influenced by the thinking of Goethe.
• Seeks to understand the spiritual component of the universe.
• Anthroposophy theorizes that in addition to the world we can understand
with our senses there is also a supersensible world we can't detect.
• Believes that living beings aren't only composed of matter but also an
energy component.
• Referred to these concepts as a spiritual science.

37. G O E T H E A N U M
• Series of two buildings
designed by Steiner to house
Anthroposophical Society.
• First from 1913 - 1922
• Second was started in 1925
and finished around 1998.
• Houses art exhibits,
performances, lectures.
• Home to School of Spiritual
Science to explore the various
concepts of anthroposophy.

38. D O E S B I O D Y N A M I C S W O R K ?
• Domaine Leflaive
• Domaine Leroy
• Marcel Deiss
• Zind Humbrecht
• Chapoutier
• Millton
• Felton Road

39. B I O D Y N A M I C S A N D S C I E N C E
• Constantly at odds.
• Funding for research on biodynamics outside of
biodynamics institutes themselves is limited.
• Difficult to create solid controlled studies due to the all
encompassing nature of the theories.
• Current research at odds with itself.
• Most research points to the compost itself as a likely source
of the benefits of biodynamics.

40. T H E F A R M A S A N E C O S Y S T E M
B I O D Y N A M I C S

41. F L I G H T # 1

42. F L I G H T # 1 N E W
Z E A L A N D P I N O T
N O I R
• As of 2012 94% of New
Zealand Wines were
certified sustainable. 7%
Were also certified organic.
• Goal is to be 100%
Sustainable and 20%
Organic by 2020.
• Government supported not
mandated.

43. W I N E S F L I G H T # 1
• Mondillo Pinot Noir, Central Otago, 2010
• Felton Road Bannockburn Pinot Noir, Central Otago,
2012
• Kim Crawford Pinot Noir, Marlborough, 2013
• Mud House Pinot Noir, Central Otago, 2013

44. F L I G H T # 2

45. F L I G H T # 2 L O I R E
V A L L E Y C H E N I N
B L A N C
• Loire valley is a large and
very traditional wine region.
• Home to one of the most
iconic of Biodynamic
Producers Nicolas Joly and
Coulée de Serant vineyard.
• Traditional agriculture is
alive and well here both
certified and non-certified.

46. F L I G H T # 2 L O I R E V A L L E Y C H E N I N
B L A N C
• Nicolas Joly Savennieres Les Vieux Clos 2010
• Domaine des Baumard Savennieres Clos du Papillon
2009
• Huet Vouvray Clos Bourg Sec 2012
• Champalou Vouvray 2013