Thanks, David, for linking to my post, and thank you all for your comments on it.
I think I was so intent on getting all the details down that I didn’t convey the message too well, an occupational hazard for me in blogging… I don’t object to the registered certification mark per se, even though Demeter USA provides no added value whatsoever to importers and foreign producers. Business is business, after all. If Demeter USA had simply told me look, we control the use of the words, it’s a small fee to use them, I wouldn’t have liked it but would probably have paid the fee. Valerie, the biodynamic winemaker I represent, believes that it’s important to get the word out about biodynamics. Not because of the cow horns and such, but because to her it represents a blow against big ag in France and a return to a more balanced way of farming. And to honor the spirit of what she’s trying to do, I’d likely have gone along with Demeter USA if they were honest enough to admit it’s just about the money for them.
Instead, there was the nonsense about protecting consumers. Saying that my French producer might not measure up, when she follows the rules more stringently than many of the U.S. producers (to whom Demeter USA gives waivers for monoculture, crop rotation, and keeping farm animals) and charging us for the privilege of making sure she does. And making importers of foreign biodynamic wines pay to register with Demeter USA, but distributors of U.S. biodynamic wines don’t have to – although the stated purpose is to make sure the biodynamic wine is handled properly. Why would a U.S. distributor automatically handle the wine more responsibly than I do?
Demeter USA is counting on biodynamic wines to promote greater awareness of biodynamic agriculture, so they look the other way when wineries don’t (and mostly can’t, by their very nature) meet Demeter USA’s own requirements. To then get on their high horse about importers and foreign producers is just ridiculous.
a number of top Austrian growers—plus Ted Lemmon from Littorai—
have for reasons among those cited by the OP,
begun with their own certification programme called Respekt.
members are
Paul Achs
Judith Beck
Karl Fritsch
Michael Goess-Enzenberg
Gernot Heinrich
Hannes Hirsch
Ted Lemmon
Fred Loimer
Andrew Lorand
Hans+Anita Nittnaus
Bernhard Ott
Gerhard Pittnauer
Claus Preisinger
Peter Veyder-Malberg
Franz Reinhard Weninger
Kurt Feiler
Fritz Wieninger
Hans Gsellmann
Thanks for the response. Living in the U.S. has made me sensitive in this area because there is so much anti-scientific, anti-intellectual activity here. Please don’t get me wrong; if I like someone’s wine, I’ll buy it regardless.
All ones needs to do is read the books of his talks where Steiner answers questions on all sorts of subjects from his followers to be forever cured of believing in Biodynamics. Steiner just sat in a chair and answered any question, on any topic put to him. Some of the answers on some topics are ridiculous, and you can tell he was just a mystic-type whose beliefs sounded interesting at the time, but as science progressed, his answers are shown for what they are; nonsense. For example, that radio waves were something “not physical” (since there is no physical connection between the sender and receiver) and that this proves things can happen outside of the physical. Or that Orientals do not like anything “new.” Or that human sweat is nature’s attempt to re-create the human form. His talks are filled with one head-scratcher after another. The fact that Biodynamics was created by culling together different idea from these kinds of talks over time seems pretty dubious.
If you think of the cow horn as an incubator for beneficial soil microbes, it makes a little sense. It probably does not need to be the horn of a older, fertile milk cow (I think that was steiner’s specs). Biodynamics also has very strong recommendations for composting and soil renewal. Then there’s a lot of silliness. I’m still not sure how much the moon has to do with things, but I’ve picked, racked and bottled a lot of wine on the full moon for lack of reason not to. Coastview is the most naturally farmed vineyard that I work with and every year flavors turn a corner after the October full moon. Or its psychosomatic.
The idea that biodynamics is the foil to big ag is false. There are plenty of foils to big ag, and to promote biodynamie as the answer only serves to confuse the lay and is counterproductive in the long term. I think a term like ‘holistic farming’ that involved some of the composting requirements of biodynamics, organic sprays (I’d like to see no Bordeaux mixture, but that’d limit adoption across the pond), integrated pest management (owl boxes, beneficials, etc.) and integrated farming (sheeps are important) with restrictions on some mechanical practices, would be a reasonable way forward. The best aspect of biodynamics is its understanding of the farm as an ecosystem, an idea that was way before its time. Who knew the Atlanteans were so forward thinking?
I think it is interesting that someone owns the certification mark on the term “biodynamic.” My view, however, is that anything that will prevent people from putting the word “biodynamic” on their label is a good thing.
I agree with Rachel - years ago, before I read anything about Steiner and his kooky preachings, I thought that biodynamic was a designation for some sort of turbo organic farming. After reading about it on-line, though, I became convinced that it was nothing short of hocus-pocus bullshit. Is it ridiculous that someone is burying a ram’s horn at the southwest corner of the seventh row of grapes on the gibbous moon? Sure it is. Does it make the wine taste better? No way. Are there components to Steiner’s suggestions that are beneficial? Sure there is, but even a broken clock is accurate twice a day.
A Miller analogy for you:
Steiner:Biodynamic Agriculture::L. Ron Hubbard: Scientology
I didn’t mean to imply that Valerie thinks that biodynamics is the only answer to big ag. For example, she is also a founding member of “Les Toques des Dentelles,” a coalition of winemakers in the region who use similar agricultural practices. Biodynamic certification provides documentation of her practices in a particular context and – equally important to her – sparks discussion about what those practices are.
Great post Ian. You summarized very well my thoughts on all this.
Steiner’s mysticism is a lightning rod for criticism, and deservedly so, but I believe he probably had some farming experience in his background. Things like the cow’s horn are easy to see as absurd, but the idea of fermenting manure to create compost isn’t. I would be nice to see someone separate out the mystic stuff from the actual real beneficial farming methods, and I imagine in practice there is a lot of that going on. Even if they may not be Demeter™ certified.
I can understand the True Believers want to get the word out on Biodynamie, but really you only need to pay to certify when your customers demand it. We wouldn’t do ISO except many customers wouldn’t even talk to us if we didn’t.
I think for many advocates or fans of biodynamic farming, if they were to read Masanobu Fukuoka they would have another sort of revelation. There is a short article on the La Clarine Farm website which details their “farming philosophy” and which talks about the transition from a controlling method of farming, like industrial agriculture, or to a lesser extent biodynamics, to a sort of non-interventionist farming. I’d personally love to see more people try this kind of thing out. LCF have had wines that have absolutely knocked my socks off, as well as relative flops. Their whites, in particular, can be more challenging than I’m normally up for!
It really is a shame, & speaks more to ignorance, as opposed to science & reason that BD gets this kind of (or is it any?) respect at all.
Trying to debate with a “believer” is akin to talking with a Creationist, or Flat-Earther. Beliefs, & faith fall short of fact & reality, I’m afraid.
Add the PR angle to it, along with the (on average) limited knowledge of viticulture & winemaking of the general, wine drinking/buying public, & this tempest in a teapot almost seems comically (to me, anyway) inevitable.
I think “Natural” & BD should join acolytes & forces (& ad men!) & rule the wine world, to the despair of mere growers, winemakers, & wine drinkers.
Disclaimer: yes, I do believe I may be guilty of continued thread drift, but Cheers, anyway!
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