Ever feel overwhelmed by all the talk of natural, organic, or Biodynamic? You are not alone! It can be very confusing.

As you wander the aisles at your local market and now even in clothing stores, more and more emphasis is being placed on these terms…But what do they mean and what’s the difference? Well, in some cases, there are actually government regulations and standards that decide if an item can be called one thing or the other. We’ll try to explain below…

100% Organic foods and beverages carry the U.S. Department of  Agriculture (USDA) organic seal (the certifying agency must be listed). In the case of wine, it indicates the wine is made from 100% organically grown ingredients and has been monitored throughout its entire production process. Wine can contain only  naturally occurring sulfites (or sulfur dioxide, an antimicrobial substance) in  less than 100 parts per million (ppm).

Organic foods and beverages also carry the USDA organic seal. In wine, it indicates the wine contains 95% organically grown ingredients (the other 5% need not be organic). Likewise,  the certifying agency must be listed and the wine  has the same sulfite requirements as 100% organic.

Wine Made from Organic Grapes or Made with Organic Ingredients means the wine contains a minimum of 70% organic ingredients.  It can have artificial sulfites added, but it may not contain more than 100 ppm.  These bottles will not carry the USDA organic seal.

Biodynamic  is based on the precise practice and observation to create balance in nature, a concept originated by Rudolf Steiner. So, biodynamic wine is not only 100%  organic, in addition, the grower has gone beyond to try to bring the farming  process more closely in tune with nature. For instance, biodynamic wine growers may make their own compost and/or  watch the stars and planets to time what they do. In the US, Demeter certifies farms, wineries, and wines as Biodynamic.

For wines lovers, there is good news! Great tasting organic wines are becoming widely available in United States.

In Biodynamics, Certifications, Jeff's Blog | Tagged with biodynamic, organic

What keeps a farm strong and healthy? What practices does that imply? Can sustainable farming and rockin’ wine come out of the same bottle?

On Earth Day 2011 ConsciousWine officially launched with a new website. Our blog and video-tastic experience covered four areas: basic wine enjoyment, demystifying natural wine, pairing up wine and food, and sustainable practices. We vetted 50 US wineries (mostly Oregon and California) for following our four principles: 100% organically grown grapes, sustainably farmed, creating vital products that taste great. Our goal is supporting the consumer in making wine choices both yummy for the palate and vital for our planet.

Trendy buzz words like natural, green, sustainable, organic and biodynamic® were getting thrown around without clarity of meaning. An early ConsciousWine blog post called The Green Wine Confusion Helper was our first attempt at help for figuring out what meant what. I’m compelled to think that whether or not one looks for natural, sustainable, organic or biodynamic products, most of us do have a real and honest desire to leave behind a better world for our kids and their kids.

Digging a little deeper, here’s some thoughts on the terms sustainable, organic and biodynamic.

• Biodynamics in particular has an interesting rap. Katherine Cole’s (wine writer for both The Oregonian and MIX Magazine) book, Voodoo Vintners, does a great job of telling the stories of people, places and practices in Oregon committed to a combo of biodynamic farming and making wines worth discovering. Monty Waldin’s (Decanter Magazine and vigneron) book, Biodynamic Wines, was the first book that inspired me on the topic. It affirmed that many of the wines I adored (as a life long wine lover) had this holistic farming practice at their core.

• Many articles, the media’s perspective and conversations on biodynamics tend to focus on the preparations (think homeopathy with a twist), cow horns, voodoo, magic, and esoteric aspects hard to grasp.

• Biodynamic farming seemed to me to be steeped in deeply rooted common sense which was often left out of the conversation (more on that to come below).

• Have you seen the refrigerator magnet or heard the line: “Organic food, or what our grandparents used to call food”?  A hundred years ago, organic farming was the norm. Post WWI, many left over poisons used in the war continued in the forms of agricultural products. Is this really a good idea? Does synthetic chemical use on the farm (today called conventional farming) really support the vitality of the land being farmed for our kids’ kids and beyond? Are the present use of terms (and their branding) telling us what’s important to know to help us make conscious choices?

• One of my favorite descriptions of sustainability came from Ivo Jeramaz at Grgich Hills Winery in Napa, CA. In 2010, over half a million acres in California were quarantined for a pest problem called the European Grapevine Moth. Everyone was told they had to spray, and Europe’s answer to this problem the year before (a pheromone) was slow to be approved by the FDA. Grgich Hills used the larvae of a predatory wasp to take care of the problem. 366 acres of biodynamically farmed vineyards were saved from damage. When I asked Ivo about their approach he described their commitment to the health of the whole system and coming up with a natural answer. “If it’s a biological problem, there’s a biological answer. To look for an answer outside of that box is not a sustainable approach”.

My personal inquiry into this world deepened in 2005. I discovered sustainable farming and rockin’ wine often come out of the same bottle. Over time I became more comfortable saying it is indeed a common practice in Oregon and in multiple parts of California.

Here’s some personal observations from this journey on what keeps a farm strong and healthy:

• Diversity on the farm and a strong immune system go hand and hand.

• Through observation the farmer discovers the assets of their farm, and as a result builds a growing, evolving, living relationship with their farm. The depth of that relationship supports the on-going health of that farm.

• The farmer/farm relationship is what can allow the farmer to not put round pegs in square holes when making choices. This supports a set of dominos which keep the farm’s immune system strong. The easier things fit together, the less stress on the system, the more naturally the whole system works.

• When you take, you have to give back. That’s what makes any relationship work well and sustainably. If you take the natural vitality out of the soil (because it’s been absorbed by the products harvested), then that vitality needs to be given back. Indigenous cover crops and compost (created ideally from materials on the farm) are a couple of ways to accomplish this.

• Synthetic chemicals used in farming can help in the short term, but appear to come with side affects including nutrient and diversity depletion. Think of taking medicine for an ailment and how it affects your system especially if you take them long term. How do you support your overall health, and what might you do to balance or counteract the side effects of taking medicine both short and long term.

• Agriculture doesn’t exist in nature. It’s roots go back approximately 10,000 years. When a farmer takes away the natural diversity that was on that land pre-agriculture, a lot of conscious work’s required to reinvigorate the soil and the environment with diversity and vitality. Here’s a crazy idea: what animals were on that land pre-agriculture and what could a farmer do so those same animals were attracted to that environment today?

• Farm as if it was 1850. Huh? Use what’s on the farm to farm and to support the farm.  Think of it like a closed loop system. If you want to build a house or wall, where does the wood and stone come from? The idea is to create a closed loop system where the nutrients and resources needed to nourish that system come from within that system.

A commitment to move in these directions can lead to sustainability defined as:

• leaving the land healthier than it was before farming

• passing a healthier place on to our kids and their kids

• minimizing the pull of resources from outside the farm

Specific practices include animals on the farm, biodiversity, biodynamic® farming, energy conversation, family farming, good worker policies, natural winemaking, packaging conservation, polyculture and water conservation.

Big cheers to the wineries walking the talk while putting in the bottle wines that rock! Lucky for those of us here in Oregon this trend is becoming more the norm and less of an exception.

In Biodynamics, Digging Deeper, Jeff's Blog, Sustainable Practices | Tagged with biodynamic, oregon, organic, sustainability

What exactly are sustainable farming practices? Good question! There’s many certifications based on sustainable farming practices yet do they go far enough?

ConsciousWine has been on the look out for wineries following our 4 Principles (Organic, Sustainable, Vital, Quality), and came up with a list of the 12 most common sustainable farming practices of wineries following our 4 Principles.

We’ll be doing a series of 12 posts to dig a little deeper into each of those practices. As sustainable farming practices go, animals on the farm is my favorite place to start.

During 2009 and 2010, I took a year long Biodynamic Farming Course at the Rudolf Steiner College in Sacramento. With each class, we were given an opportunity to approach the topic from a new perspective. I thought of it like putting on a new pair of glasses to look at the world through, except it was a pair of glasses through which to experience the topic of each individual class.

When it came to the class on animal husbandry (animals on the farm), we were given this pair of metaphorical glasses: “What if, domesticated animals chose to become domesticated? What if, they knew that humanity had lost their way,… and through offering themselves to the farm, they could support the health and well being of the whole. By doing so, humanity’s way of being would return to a balance for the good of all.”

From that perspective, animals on the farm is quite the sustainable farming practice.

I’ve become conscious of (or aware of), that when I’m living in (or visiting), an area that welcomes animals into it (wild and domesticated), something about that just perks me up. It makes me want to be more attentive and conscious, which reminds me of why we named ConsciousWine ConsciousWine.

The idea is to bring awareness to how we taste, and to what’s happening on the farm and in the winery. That’s what our principles, practices and mission are all about. Now back to the sustainable farming practice animals on the farm…

Animals are part of nature. They are part of the balance. When removed, something is missing, and we can feel it. Do you agree? Maybe we even end up losing a very basic connection to nature and natural law.

Over and over I am reminded there’s a vitality when you go outside that all animals and all life are meant to be part of. When this natural system is whole do things just work better? Go for a walk in the woods and see how that feels. Do you know what I’m talking about?

There’s a book called Ishmael by Daniel Quinn that comes to mind as I’m writing this. It speaks a lot to the effects of agriculture onto society and the world.

I’m a believer that a farm with animals just kicks it up a notch.

What types of animals are vineyards including?

-Sheep, cows, pigs, goats, chickens, birds, horses, cats, dogs, bees…

What’s the benefit of having them there?

-From eating weeds, to helping fertilize the soil, to adding their particular personality, to supporting the natural predatory cycle. Animals on the farm bring their special unique vitality, and very importantly support biodiversity.

What are some of the individual benefits of each type of animal, and what’s the name of a few wineries with that type of animal on their farm?

-Sheep: Natural lawn mowers controlling unwanted vegetation (alternative to herbicides and mowing); can be an extra special help in wet years when farmers may not be able to get tractors easily into the vineyard. Wineries with sheep? Benziger (Sonoma, CA), Tres Sabores (Napa, CA).

-Cows: Provide manure for compost; a major piece of a biodynamic approach to farming. Wineries with cows? Ambyth Estate (Paso Robles, CA), Araujo Estate (Napa, CA).

-Goats: Goats can be a problem in that they do like to eat grape leaves and chewing on things, but they also produce whey. Once a goat gives birth, they produce milk. From the milk can come cheese, and in the course of producing curds (from which cheese is made), a large quantity of whey results. Whey is a nutrient rich liquid that when diluted becomes a potent ‘mildew-cide’ (fungicide). Wineries with goats? La Clarine Farm (Sierra Foothills, CA), Belle Pente Winery (Willamette Valley, OR).

-Chickens: Contribute to the overall biodiversity cycle supporting an harmonious interaction of soil, vegetation, insects and the whole. One example was described to me as, “the chickens keep the horses’ paddocks and stables free of ticks and mites as they love to forage for insects and will even overturn stones to find them. By keeping chickens in the vineyards, we are free of vine weevils and mealy bug activity and along with our sheep, they ensure that our vineyards are kept in tiptop shape whilst their nitrogen rich droppings fertilize the soil.” Wineries with chickens? Big Table Farm (Willamette Valley, OR), Dark Horse Ranch/Paul Dolan Wine (Mendocino, CA).

-Birds: A diverse bird population is a sign of a healthy diverse eco-system. Some birds present problems in the vineyard (Robins and Starlings), but a diverse population in the environs is a very good sign. Recently, Southern Oregon’s Cowhorn Vineyards won an award for most “Bird Friendly Vineyard” in a competition created by the Klamath Bird Observatory.

-Bees: There are 2 documentaries that spell it out far better than I could explain. “Vanishing of the Bees” and “Queen of the Sun” are 2 movies that transform perspectives. If the honey bee goes away, so probably do we. Wineries with bee hives? Michel Schlumberger (Dry Creek Valley, CA), Littorai (Russian River Valley, CA).

If your passion for animals runs deep, there’s a non-profit to know about in Southern Oregon’s Applegate Valley. They are a “care farm” where people, animals and the earth work together for mutual healing.  In discovering the wonderful things happening at Sanctuary One at Double Oak Farm, we might start embracing  that sustainable farming practices really do include animals on the farm!

Watch winemaker and co-owner of AmByth Estate, Philip Hart, speak about animals on his farm.

In Biodynamics, Digging Deeper, Jeff's Blog, Sustainable Practices, Wineries | Tagged with biodynamic, natural wine, sustainability

Thanks to Jeffrey for his enthusiasm for Biodynamic® wineries and wines.  In his October 19 blog, Jeffrey shared his experience noticing the connection between wines he was loving to drink, and their connections to Biodynamic farming.  It begs the question: Are Biodynamic Wines “better?” Continue reading “Are Biodynamic® Wines “Better”?” »

In Biodynamics, Guest Bloggers, Jeff's Blog, Natural Winemaking, Sustainable Practices | Tagged with biodynamic, Demeter, Elizabeth Candelario, natural wine

In 2002, as the Wine Director of Suburban Wines & Spirits, I had not heard of biodynamic® wine or biodynamic anything for that matter. I was very passionate about wine and wine with “terroir,” but biodynamic wine hadn’t yet appeared on my radar. Continue reading “Biodynamic Wine: An Adventure Begins” »

In Biodynamics, Demystifying Natural Wine, History, Jeff's Blog, World | Tagged with biodynamic, natural wine

1.  In June of 1924, Rudolf Steiner presented 8 lectures over 10 days. Approximately 100 farmers had gathered in Koberwitz, Germany to hear those talks. Today those lectures can be found in a book called Agriculture, and are what became the foundation of Biodynamic® farming today. Continue reading “Biodynamic Farming & Vineyards: <br/>10 Things to Know” »

In Biodynamics, Certifications, Demystifying Natural Wine, Jeff's Blog | Tagged with california, Demeter, French Wine, oregon, sustainability

Studying biodynamic® vineyards and practices can be a brain twister but the proof is in the bottle. What they share is an approach to the health of the whole farm and eco-system of which they are a part. Attention to detail, a tight relationship with the assets of the farm, understanding the farm as a closed nutrient system, and working in tune with nature’s rhythms and cycles are pieces to what makes a biodynamic vineyard what it is. Continue reading “Biodynamic Vineyard: Dominio IV’s Three Sleeps” »

In Biodynamics, Jeff's Blog, Storytelling, Tasting Wine, The Shop, Wineries | Tagged with biodynamic, oregon, tasting notes

I’ve been called a good listener, a bad listener and everything in between. Does how we listen create how we see the world? Since getting a Honda Fit, I’ve loved watching to see how many Honda Fits are on the road. I listen for Honda Fits! A moment of curiosity led me to switch my listening focus to Volkswagen’s, and I discovered that about every 10^th car or so going by was a Volkswagen. Continue reading “The Joy of Listening” »

In Biodynamics, Demystifying Natural Wine, Jeff's Blog, Storytelling | Tagged with biodynamic, natural wine, the 4 principles

Barbara Shinn and David Page moved from San Francisco to New York, and in 1993 started a thirty seat culinary hotspot in Greenwich Village called Home. Their passion and focus was on local food and wine. Before long, they created a New York first… a wine list consisting exclusively of regional wines. Continue reading “There’s a Biodynamic Vineyard in<br/>New York” »

In Biodynamics, Jeff's Blog, Tasting Wine, Wine & Food, Wineries | Tagged with new york, organic wine

It’s been over two weeks of NY adventuring and this Oregonian (a former New Yorker) is just about ready to go home, but not before celebrating what we’ve been working on for several years.

On June 3, my partner Vinny Liscio and I are hosting a ConsciousWine event to say, “Thank you,” to a lot of folks who’ve helped bring this idea, website and business into being. This is only the beginning, but every once in a while it’s good to stop and pause and remember how you got to where you are. Continue reading “In a New York State of Mind” »

In Biodynamics, History, Jeff's Blog, Storytelling | Tagged with new york, Vinny Liscio

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