More and more wineries are choosing to make their wines following techniques that are completely respectful of the environment, without using any type of fertilizer, pesticide or manure. An example of this is biodynamic agriculture.

• What is biodynamic agriculture?
• What is the Demeter calendar?
• What are biodynamic preparations?
• What varieties are used to make this type of wine?
• Do these wines have any kind of certification?
• What are the characteristics that these wines must have to achieve this certification?

What is biodynamic agriculture?

It is a type of agriculture developed by Rudolf Steiner, which is based on the concept of a self-sufficient farm, placing the environment and nature as the main objective.

Biodynamic wines are made with minimal intervention in the cellar and taking into account the influence of the moon. To do this, they are based on the Demeter calendar, which establishes the guidelines that affect the sowing and planting of the vines.

What is the Demeter calendar?

It is a system that is based on how the moon affects the sowing and planting of the vines. It was created by Maria Thun, but it has really been used for centuries by peasants. Taking this calendar into account, María Thun assures that the result of the wine will be better, since the different phases of the moon directly influence the leaf, the root, the flower and the grape.

But in addition to taking into account the biodynamic calendar, natural mixtures are also used to treat crops: biodynamic preparations.

What are biodynamic preparations?

They are mixtures in which a plant part and an animal part are used, since the combination of animal and plant organs can greatly improve nature. These preparations are named with numbers from 500 to 508, and are used to treat the different phases of biodynamic cultivation. The best known are the 500 horn manure and the 501 horn silica.

What varieties are used to make this type of wine?

All varieties are suitable for biodynamic cultivation, what is certain is that the strains and vines will develop much better if they are native to the place and area where they are planted. In the market we find both white wines and, for example, aloers 2018, Xarello, reds like GR 5 Trails or pink. sparkling like MIM Natura Brut Nature Grand Reserve 2017 or calm.

What determines whether they are biodynamic wines is exclusively the way they are made.

Do these wines have any kind of certification?

The Demeter certificate, which must appear on the wine label.

What are the characteristics that these wines must have to achieve this certification?

Among the requirements that must be met to obtain this certification are the following:

• All mixtures for pest control must be biodynamic preparations.
• Only Demeter production on the same crop is allowed. Biodynamic cultivation cannot be alternated with normal cultivation.
• It is necessary to have an adequate infrastructure to elaborate biodynamic preparations.
• The seeds cannot have been modified, they must come from biodynamic or organic farming.
• The same thing happens with the fertilizer, it has to be from animals raised in a sustainable way.

And now that you know a little more about this type of booming wine, we encourage you to enjoy it. Health!

AUTHOR: Ana Gómez, graduate in Chemistry, Biochemistry and WSET3 sommelier. CEO of Perfectanino.