Today we dive into Meinklang a wine from Hungary. I went to pick up a wine a while back at GaragisteLV and decided to add a bottle while I was there. “What do you have that is interesting,” I asked Eric. He immediately suggested this wine. It wasn’t until I got home that I realized it was from Hungary.
My mother was Hungarian. I guess that makes me ½ Hungarian. My grandparents both immigrated from Budapest. My mother grew up with Hungarian recipes around her, and I remember my Grandmother speaking Hungarian in her final days, returning to her native tongue. So the fact that Eric suggested this wine was a bit of kismet.
It’s the holidays, and while Mom is no longer with us, today I would honor her and my Hungarian heritage. We enjoyed this wine with two of my mother’s favorite Hungarian recipes, Chicken Paprikas and Hungarian Nut Cake.
Meinklang
More than a vineyard or a winery, Meinklang is a family-run mixed farm. In addition to grapes, they grow ancient grains like spelt and farro and have fruit orchards, vegetable gardens, and “meadows of wild herbs and flowers”. They are Demeter Certified Biodynamic.
The 3000-hectare farm is located within the World Heritage Site the National Park Neusiedlersee. They sit to the East of the Neusiedlersee Lake. The vineyard is in Somló southeast of the farm and on the foothills of an extinct volcano, so their soils are basalt and loess and are mineral-rich.
In the map below you can see them as #5 in the light blue of the Balaton Region The Nagy-Somlói region is broken up into 3 small sections that add up to just 533 hectares. The section that is the furthest east is where the vineyard is located.
Map of Hungarian Wine Regions courtesy of Hungarian Wines
Meinklang h17
This wine is from the grape Hárslevelü (harsh-level-oo). It is a white grape whose name means “linden leaf”. This is an aromatic grape although less so when from the tiny Somló region where it has mineral qualities.
This wine is made in an orange style with 2 days of skin contact. It is fermented with wild yeasts, and bottled unfiltered and unfined with no sulfites added.
My notes:
Hazy with no sediment the nose first hits you with honeysuckle. Perhaps that is the linden blossom they speak of. Savory spices and mineral notes follow and then tart yellow apple. As it opens I get richer, riper yellow fruit.
In my mouth, it’s zestier than I anticipated, with bright acid and almost an effervescent feel. I start to notice nutty notes, cider, and perhaps fresh-cut wood. This is the perfect white wine to enjoy by the fire.
Chicken Paprikas
I loved it when my mother would make Chicken Paprikas when I was a child. The kitchen smelled delicious as it simmered away and I loved the dumplings. I made these by the spoonful, but if you want you can make them smaller like the traditional Nokedli. I remember my Mom standing over the pot of boiling salted water with the dough on a cutting board, cutting away pieces and letting them drop into the pot.
This recipe I made with chicken thighs and it cooks in a dutch oven. The dumplings are made on the side and then stirred into the sauce and served with the chicken.
This pairing was just comforting. I think Mom would have been proud.
Hungarian Nut Cake, apricot mousse, and crumbled meringue
Okay if you have been following our 12 Days of Wine, you are saying, “Wait, that was Day 1”! Well, you are right. Here’s the deal. I tasted out of order and when I got to that Prosecco I still had Hungarian Nut Cake left that I didn’t want to go to waste, so…
This is a fancy plating of my Mom’s favorite cake. I tried to make a small bit of her coffee buttercream frosting and that was kind of a fail. Oh well. I created an apricot mousse to go with this did a schmear of the failed coffee buttercream, dusted the plate with a combination of powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and espresso powder, and garnished with walnuts, crumbled meringue, and sliced dried apricot.
The dessert was a win with the wine, melding with the buttercream, and pulling out the apricot in the dish.
As always be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and sign up for our monthly newsletter to keep up to date on all of our posts.
Robin Renken is a wine writer and Certified Specialist of Wine. She and her husband Michael travel to wine regions interviewing vineyard owners and winemakers and learning the stories behind the glass.
When not traveling they indulge in cooking and pairing wines with food at home in Las Vegas.
It’s harvest and the group of writers at Wine Pairing Weekend (#WinePW) this month are led by Gwendolyn Alley of Wine Predator. She sent us an Invitation to re/consider Harvest and how global warming will change what we eat, drink and plant.
The way I enjoy harvest since most often I must do it from afar, is through the social media and blogs of my favorite wineries. When I stopped to consider wineries who have upped the ante on making great wine and taking care of the planet, Tablas Creek was the first to come to mind. They also provide great harvest coverage. You should really check out their blog, where they share in-depth information on how the harvest and the vintage went, complete with grapes, and lots of data.
In addition, they recently got their Regenerative Organic Certification.
Tablas Creek
Tablas Creek Vineyards, Adelaida District, Paso Robles
Tablas Creek Vineyard Spring 2015 at this point certified Organic
Vineyards at Tablas Creek recently certified as Regenerative Organic
Tablas Creek is a joint venture with the Perrin family of Château de Beaucastel from France’s Rhône Valley and the Haas family of Vineyard Brands. Founded in 1989 in Paso Robles, the winery was certified organic in 2003 and got their biodynamic certification in 2017. So why do this new certification?
A little bit about Regenerative Organic Certified (or ROC)
This organization was established in 2017 by people in various industries that were concerned about the planet and wanted to promote a system of regenerative agriculture. Companies like Patagonia and Dr. Bronner, to drop a couple of names that you might be familiar with.
On the ROC (Regenerative Organic Certified) website they share the reason behind the organization.
“We exist to heal a broken system, repair a damaged planet, and empower farmers and eaters to create a better future through better farming.”
I have been hearing the term “regenerative agriculture” quite a bit lately. Many biodynamic farms use this term. It is mostly used in terms of soil. Healthy soil is good for plants and the ecosystem and it sequesters carbon and goodness knows we could use a hand with that. Methods used include cover crops and not over tilling the soil.
Regenerative Organic Certified goes beyond this. They have 3 pillars: Soil health, Animal welfare, and social fairness. And before I go any further, I should make it clear that this is not a certification just for wineries and vineyards, this certification takes in all of agriculture and products from it, so farms, for produce or livestock or fibers.
Their motto “Farm like the world depends on it”. And well, it does.
Regenerative Organic Certification at Tablas Creek
In February of 2019 Tablas Creek was approached to be part of a pilot program for Regenerative Organic. After looking through the pillars, they realized that much of what they were already doing made them the perfect candidates for this. When they looked closely at the organization and what it stood for, they were on board.
Jason Haas, GM for Tablas Creek was gracious enough to take some time out of his day and talk with me about this new certification. I asked him if there were any requirements that were new to them, or anything that caused them to look differently at something they were already doing.
“There were a couple of things. One of the things is that…there were a lot of things that we were doing, but not measuring the results. Particularly a lot of the kind of carbon capture in the soil sorts of things with the flock of sheep and the cover crops and the rotational grazing and trying to leave sections that we don’t till, so we don’t till every section every year. We had pretty good confidence that this was the right thing to do and that it was building carbon, but we weren’t actually measuring how much carbon and how much moisture the soil was retaining and how that was changing year over year.
As part of the certification process, you have to submit this information and it has to be information that’s monitored regularly over the course of multiple years. So we’ve become a lot better about measuring the results of the things we were doing. Just because we had to. Though the whole reason that we were chosen by the Regenerative Organic Alliance to be a part of the pilot program is because we were doing most of this stuff anyway. It wasn’t because they were like “let’s take a chemically farmed vineyard and see if we can transform it into something different.” They had pretty good confidence that we were applying most if not all of the principals that they wanted to see. So, the measurement is one piece.
The other thing, that for us was really an eyeopener, were some of the audits that we had to do for our farmworker welfare. We know we pay our team a good wage, we know that we are careful about working conditions. But the sorts of questions that they were asking were like “How much input does your team have into the decisions that are being made on a weekly basis in the vineyard?” We were like, well? Not a lot most of the time. We are consulting with our Vineyard manager and then …directing the team. So we are like “Well, okay, this is one of the things that is an important part of this.” We are supposed to do weekly meetings, get the whole team together, and talk through what’s going to be coming up the next week and solicit their feedback. And there were several things that the team suggested, “well why don’t we do it this way,” that we’ve decided, that’s a great idea let’s do it this way. So it was being a little more mindful about incorporating the feedback of the vineyard team. So that was one of the eyeopeners for us.”
“That’s really the biggest thing I think behind the Regenerative Organic certification is that they are trying to set up essentially a framework within which you can be confident that the agricultural products that are certified Regenerative Organic are a part of the solution to that climate change challenge not contributing further to the problem.”
Jason Haas, September 8, 2020
They recently shared a video with an explanation of the Certification.
One of the things that you find with vineyards is that many people want to adapt to some biodynamic practices, but when they look in-depth at the background of biodynamics, some of the mystic stuff becomes a non-starter for them. The thing is, if you taste wines from biodynamic vineyards and wineries, in my experience, the quality is always high. In addition, as I’ve mentioned before, when I meet these people, I like them. They are people I want to associate with.
Many biodynamic vineyards owners stick mostly to the things they can measure when it comes to biodynamics avoiding the mysticism. Jason wrote a recent twitter thread about this, citing the science behind why the cow horn silica preparation has an impact on the vineyard.
“yes, biodynamics works, but I’m not sure that it works for the reason it says it works. There are a lot of things … in biodynamics, you are certainly attracting people who want to farm the right way, which goes a long way. This particular collection of techniques has proven basically to make good wine, but the stated reason behind why it’s supposed to work, in most cases sounds ridiculous. It’s nice to just eliminate the whole ridiculous piece of it and dive a little deeper into the science. “
Jason Haas, September 8, 2020
I asked if he thought this new Regenerative Organic Certification might be a gateway for biodynamic skeptics.
“I do, I think there will be a lot of people who are a little more science-based who maybe they have gone organic, but they looked at biodynamics and thought…hmm..”
Jason Haas, September 8, 2020
We also spoke a bit about the past weekend and the heat spike that caused them to only do their outside tastings until noon. I wondered how the vineyard fared and if some of their vineyard practices help them manage the impact.
“We had a couple of days that touched 110 which in my recollection, we have never seen before…
I do think that that wider spacing and the deeper root systems that result from that and from just the age of the older vines, it does help us withstand things like heat spikes in relatively good shape… I talked to Neil this morning and he said that he didn’t see really anything significant in the way of damage from the heat over the last few days. And I think a big piece of that is that the vines roots are down so far that they barely notice what’s going on at the surface. If the root mass is down 10 feet, that doesn’t get impacted by a couple days of 110 versus 100.”
Jason Haas, September 8, 2020
He did mention that with the temperatures now dropping to highs in the mid-90s for this week with cool nights that they expect to see harvest ramp up fairly quickly. This heat spike will likely compress the beginning of harvest.
*After this piece posted Jason shared a twitter thread with more of his thoughts on climate change for the wine industry. It is a worth read. You can find it here.
Lighter bottles – good for the environment and the budget
We spoke a little about packaging. They have added stainless steel kegs to their packaging which is great for restaurants. Once things come back, this will be great for them.
As to environmentally friendly packaging, Tablas Creek went to lighter weight bottles 10 years ago. I asked about the savings with that change. Often with new packaging, it can be more expensive as it’s not as available in the market. It seems in general, the lighter weight bottles are less expensive in many ways.
“…it was cheaper from the beginning. The bottles were cheaper because it’s just less glass, a big piece of it is just the raw materials. And then the transport was a ton cheaper. The average case was 9 lbs less of glass than the previous bottle, so it was ¾ of a lb per bottle less. That was cheaper to transport to us, it was cheaper to transport away from us, whether that was UPS or FedEx going to a consumer customer or whether it was even something as simple as because of the less weight of the glass we could fit 3 more pallets onto a truck, before we get to the trucks weight limit. So there were fewer trucks. It was a cost savings from the beginning.”
Jason Haas, September 8, 2020
Tablas Creek Pairing for Harvest
Typically when you think of harvest, you think of fall, of pumpkins and sweaters. Up until just recently our temperatures have hovered around 114 degrees and we had smoke over the Vegas Valley, as much of the West Coast has and is seeing.
Then the front pushed through bringing winds, which while they are terrible for the coast, did clear our skies and drop our temperatures.
We feel a little more fall like, but it’s still not sweater weather, so we are going with a white wine for harvest.
2018 Tablas Creek Grenache Blanc
As we open and enjoy this wine, they are getting ready to harvest this year’s Grenache Blanc.
All the aromas and flavors from the 2018 Tablas Creek Grenache Blanc
The 2018 vintage was their 16th bottling of this wine. Their site notes
“A classic Grenache Blanc nose of lemon pith, green apple peel, anise, and briny minerality. On the palate, very bright at first, with a burst of lemon on the attack, then sweeter flavors of sarsaparilla and tarragon, while the grape’s richness comes out on the finish, leaving on a long sweet/tart lemon drop note.”
I did not get the sarsaparilla, but everything else was spot on with my tasting. This wine is bright, but round and feels like the perfect white for weather changes. That softness, making it okay for some long sleeves while enjoying a chillier breeze as fall begins to show itself.
This is an estate wine and it sits at 13.4% abv. Most of their Grenache Blanc goes into their White wine blends each year. Tablas is a winery in the Southern Rhone style, so they focus on blends. Luckily for wine geeks like me, they also like to do varietal bottlings, so we can see what each of the components bring to the blends. They fermented some lots in stainless steel and some in foudre (which gives the wine its roundness) and then blend before bottling.
This wine retails at $30 and they produced 1470 cases. It’s still in stock if you want to grab a bottle or two for yourself.
Pairing with fish and fennel
Fish with Fennel and 2018 Grenache Blanc from Tablas Creek Vineyard
I looked to the suggested pairings on their site and chose to work from a recipe they suggested for Fish & Fennel.
This is again one of those early fall cross-over dishes. It is light with citrus and fish, but the broth is full of warming savory notes. The fennel notes again leading me into fall with the promise of licorice candy and heavier baking spices on the horizon.
It was a perfect pairing to enjoy on the rooftop. We celebrated weather that allowed us to get back out here, as we had not been able to do dinner on the roof since June! We took in the sunset and the mountains and shivered a little, which was kind of delicious.
View of the Sheep Range Mountains
Sunset View over Mount Charleston
Wine Pairing Weekend #winepw
Continue the harvest conversation with the group from Wine Pairing Weekend on twitter this Saturday, September 12th at 11 am EDT by following and commenting with the hashtag #winepw. Our discussion will encompass Harvest, climate change, vineyard practices, and of course some amazing pairings.
Here are the pieces by my colleagues on the subject!
We have been lucky enough to visit Tablas Creek Vineyard on several occasions and did a vineyard walk and interview with Jason in 2015. Here are some other pieces on this vineyard.
I did work one morning of harvest, picking Pinot Noir at the Clos Pepe vineyard in Santa Barbara’s Sta. Rita Hills. And just a couple years ago we traveled through the Yakima Valley just at the end of Harvest. You can read about those adventures here.
As always be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to keep up to date on all of our posts.
Robin Renken is a wine writer and Certified Specialist of Wine. She and her husband Michael travel to wine regions interviewing vineyard owners and winemakers and learning the stories behind the glass.
When not traveling they indulge in cooking and pairing wines with food at home in Las Vegas.
Last October Michael and I visited Australia and while in the Hunter Valley, we visited Krinklewood Vineyard. Rod Windrim the Vigneron, took us on a walk around the property. Rod is using biodynamic farming methods in his vineyard and it was something I really wanted to discuss with him.
When we met him, he gave us a bit of the history of the vineyard. You can read about that here. It also includes a couple of videos from our visit.
Rod Windrim Vigneron, Krinklewood Biodynamic Vineyard
Varieties in the vineyard
Rod and I start our wander, heading out into the vineyard and he tells me about the varieties they are growing. This includes Semillon, Chardonnay, Verdelho, Shiraz, Tempranillo and a little bit of Gewurztaminer. They were growing Mourvedre, but it just wasn’t suited to the site, so they switched to Tempranillo, which does very well. The Gewurztraminer was added because he really liked adding it to the Verdelho to give it a slightly savory note, and he could not find a place to source it.
They produce some varietal wines and some blends. Their Wild White is a mix of all of their white grapes. The Verdelho was Rod’s alternative to Sauvignon Blanc. Not a fan of “Savy Blanc”, the Verdelho is his answer to a wine that Sauvginon Blanc fans find they like (even if they have trouble pronouncing it.)
With some varieties they must put in a bit of extra work to keep them healthy. With the Tempranillo it is important to keep the canopy open for the breeze to come through, because the big soft Tempranillo leaves are prone to downy mildew. The Semillon, which is so famous for botrytis in Bordeaux, they carefully drop fruit so that none of the bunches are touching. This again, keeps the bunches safe from mildew and disease.
Yeast
I ask if they use native yeast. His answer? They do both native & inoculated. They create a pied de cuve, which you can kind of think of as a sourdough starter.
“We culture our yeast with … the nicest bunches we can get, put them in small carboys then just leave it out of the sun so you get about 25 degree temp and just monitor it with a hydrometer until it gets down to about 6 baume and then shandy it into the…mix it in gradually.”
Rod Windrim, October 2019
Sometimes they have used cultured yeast, when the weather has been uncooperative and they could get good grapes to start the pied de cuve.
The beauty of the site
The vineyard seems like it’s own universe, spread between Yellow Rock (the hills to the East) and Mount Isobel off in the western distance. Mount Broke and Mount Adams frame Drews Creek that feeds into Wollombi Brook. There are neighbors, but you don’t feel like there are.
“It’s heaven! I think being surrounded by mountains, it’s lovely. At night it gets that you can’t see your hand in front of your face. It’s wonderful for lying on the grass, looking at the stars”
Rod Windrim, October 2019
Here I must give a shout out to Willa. She was our constant companion joyfully playing on our wander. She is Rod’s daughter Carla’s dog.
Solar for energy efficiency
Rod points out the solar panels in front of us. They have a 15 kw set up here and another 10kw on the other side of the property.
Solar panels at Krinklewood Vineyard
This leads to……
“we don’t want to rave about organics too much. To me it’s like telling someone you’re honest. The moment someone tells me they’re honest, hmmmm. We feel a little bit the same way about organic and biodynamic and also getting caught in sort of the thing I hate this “I’m more organic than you and I’m more biodynamic than you and all that.”
Rod Windrim, October 2019
But I have asked. This is not marketing or bragging, this is answering the questions I am asking. I like the fact that he is doing this because he believes in it, and does not want it thought of as a marketing ploy.
We pass the sheds with tractors and cultivators, the flow forms and stainless steel tank for making compost teas. There is a patch with buried cow horns and areas for making compost that has fencing so you can see the layers. These were built back when they did weekend biodynamic classes here with Hamish Mackay.
Influences and sources for biodynamic information
The farming here is just farming biology. Rod rattles off names; Arden Anderson who was a student of Carey Reams. Both do what is called biological farming. He also mentions Elain Ingham, a microbiologist and Philip Calahan, who got into the frequencies plants put out. I am grateful we are recording so I can look up there work later (I’ll include links in case you are curious, below). Rod did his research and he is quite well read on the subject.
I learn from him about biological coverage on leaves from compost teas that keep pests from attacking it. You can check the brix of the sap within the stems of the vines. If the brix are at 16-18, the plant is healthy and the pests won’t attack it. Pests, like predators, attack the weak and unhealthy. This is where Callahan comes in. He was monitoring the frequencies that plants give out and discovered that when they give out certain frequencies, the pests detect it and come running.
Unhealthy conventional farming cycles
There is a cycle that you might be familiar with, that happens in conventional agriculture. You add a fertilizer recommended from a company, nitrogen perhaps. The plants start growing fast. They send out all this soft new tissue and that attracts the pest who come to eat it. Then of course the company recommends a pesticide to kill off those pests. It’s a vicious circle. It’s also about quantity over quality. Add the fertilizer and you get bigger plants, bigger crop, but with less nutritional density.
Natural innovation to save a vintage
I ask about the pressures of summer rains when using biodynamic farming methods. Most of the regions we have seen using these practices are blessed with dry summers. Rod gets excited here. He has a story for me.
“We started using biodynamic preparations here in 2002. We got to 2008 and local contractors and colleges, when we said we’d survived another year, they were like “yeah, but it’s a fucking drought”. 2008 came and it pissed down raining the whole vintage. We had downy starting to break out. Lawson, that worked for me at the time was really awesome. We’d met up with some guys in the cotton industry that were heading toward organic. This guy was breeding a geni of fungi that predated on downy spores. So we got some and made a compost tea, we bred the numbers up and sprayed this out. We survived the vintage with downy and picked every grape on the property.”
Rod Windrim, October 2019
Downy Mildew (Plasmopara vitikola) is a fungal disease that affects a grape leaves. Common grapevine diseases and treatment. bildlove, Adobe stock
Downy spores are white on the underside of the leaf. The tea turned them a rusty red color. They hadn’t wanted to give up on biodynamics after working so hard for so many years.
“This wine writer rang me in March after vintage and asked how the vintage was. I said it was pretty tough. He said, so what do you mean? I said it pissed down rain, we got downy breakout. So he said you are going back to…I said No Way! We are convinced now, we can actually wave the flag, we’re biodynamic, cause we survived!”
Rod Windrim, October 2019
We walk around the back and he points out the Verdelho, the Shiraz, the Gewurz, Chard and Semillon that is next to the creek.
Irrigation
I ask about water and Rod says they have a dam and then drip feed. Here you have to irrigate or the vines would not survive. But they only irrigate to keep the biology healthy and breeding. They use the system to place biological food for the vines, like fish emulsion, kelp and molasses.
Soils
Soils here are sandy loam, which are great for white grapes, not so great for red. Red wines want those rich red volcanic soils to make powerful reds like those in McClaren Vale and the Barossa Valley. Here the reds are more akin to a big Pinot Noir.
Spraying biodynamic preparations with a recovery system
Tractor with biodynamic spray and catch unit at Krinklewood
At that point the tractor pulling a sprayer comes toward us. This sprayer has a recovery unit on it. This early in the year there is not as much foliage, so there is a cover on both sides to recover about 80% of what they are spraying. This keeps the spray from being wasted in the air or on the ground.
We spent quite a bit of time with Rod, so check back with us as we continue our walk and get into the winery for a bit of barrel tasting.
The truth of 2020
It’s worth saying that a biodynamic approach can help you through drought, it can help with the health of your vineyard, but there are some things that are beyond the help of biodynamics. Australia and the Hunter Valley were hit with major fires this year. Krinklewood, like so many vineyards in the Hunter, lost an entire vintage to smoke taint. Rod tells me they tested and after getting the results, they did not harvest. After that, they were hit by COVID-19, having their cellar door again closed down.
Cellar door at Krinklewood, Biodyamic Vineyard, in New South Wales, The Hunter, Australia
They have been able to reopen their cellar door, which is an amazing place to get away, enjoy the country, watch the peacocks (who roam and preen), and enjoy some amazing wine. I encourage you to go visit. It will do your soul good. You can taste and see for yourself the difference using a biodynamic approach can make in a wine. The wines here are really spectacular. Make sure you have room in the car to take some home.
Be sure to call ahead and set an appointment. They are appointment only on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, for the moment. Pre-book your tasting by calling 0265791322 or via email [email protected].
You can find them at 712 Wollombi Rd, Broke NSW 2330, Australia
If you see Rod, please tell him I say hello.
Sources & Resources
If you, like me, are fascinated with biodynamics and want to learn more, here is a list of the authors that Rod mentioned.
One other book, that I really need to pick up and read is The Future Makers -Australian wines for the 21s Century by Max Allen. I met Max at the Wine Media Conference. In his book, he looks at Australian winemakers and vineyard owners, and the directions the wine industry will need to take to combat global warming. He spent some time speaking with Rod about Biodynamics.
As always be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to keep up to date on all of our posts.
Robin Renken is a wine writer and Certified Specialist of Wine. She and her husband Michael travel to wine regions interviewing vineyard owners and winemakers and learning the stories behind the glass.
When not traveling they indulge in cooking and pairing wines with food at home in Las Vegas.
The drought in Australia fueled the fires we saw the beginning of this year. We talked with David Lowe at Lowe Wine about the drought and about biodynamics, a subject you know we are very interested in.
The drought in Australia
David says that the drought has been very damaging for people who were not prepared for it. We later spoke with another winemaker who explained the earlier longer drought that the country had gone through. After a short reprise they plunged into the current drought which is more severe.
Biodynamics and how it helps with drought
Droughts can be debilitating and this is a country that waffles between severe drought and flooding. David feels that he has set his vineyard on the right path over the past 20 years setting it up to be more drought resistant. Removing all the damaging pesticides and letting diverse native grasses grow have helped with ground cover and have limited pests. They don’t irrigate so the roots have dug deep.
“In fact our Shiraz roots go 5 meters deep were all planted with a shovel and a bucket of water and we’ve relied on rainfall scarce as that’s been, all the time and we’ve never lost a vine. They’re quite productive in fact they look better than most vineyards that are drip irrigated. “
David Lowe, October 2019
An explanation of biodynamics
David tells us there is no recipe for bio-dynamics, it is about observation, learning when to interfere and when not to interfere. He gives us a description from his consultant on bio-dynamics, comparing Newtonian science, which is absolute and the philosophy of Goethe, who looked at the precedents and how they occurred and looked for an explanation. If he didn’t find it, it was because it was something we did not completely understand.
“So to me bio-dynamics understands and respects the precedents and what’s happened in nature over the last 5 or 7 thousand years as been mapped and tries to apply Newtonian science to it. I find it a really interesting way to do it. We’re not just looking at the sky and the cosmos and the land and saying, oh we’re all hippie about it. But there is a scientific reason it happens and we’re trying to find it. If we can’t understand it, at least appreciate, this has happened and work with it.”
David Lowe, October 2019
Soils in Australia and Mudgee
We move on to discuss the soils here in Mudgee and within Australia. This is an ancient and eroded land. It is the oldest land form in the world, part of the Gondwaraland. Changes in soil here come from erosion. So the top of the hills are stony and rocky while the bottom fills with silt and loess. On the slopes, of course you get a variation. Variation makes winemakers happy.
Working with soils to make the best wines
David has tried to map the soils and work with it. There is quartz and shale with minerals. It’s well drained and that important for the grapevines, it encourages them to dig deep which promotes drought resistance and increases the quality.
“We’ve said we don’t care about what crop we get off it any year, we care that it’s the best wine possible. Because we are in control of our market, because we are in control of our all of our sales, as you see, our only sales are here, we can tell the message. People can respond to the authenticity of growing and making it and selling it onsite. That’s worked with us. Probably as an accident, but we’re not going to stop it now.”
David Lowe, October 2019
More from David Lowe
We have one more conversation to share with you from our visit with David Lowe. The next one gets pretty geeky on yeasts and barrels!
As always be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and sign up for our monthly newsletter to keep up to date on all of our posts.
Robin Renken is a wine writer and Certified Specialist of Wine. She and her husband Michael travel to wine regions interviewing vineyard owners and winemakers and learning the stories behind the glass.
When not traveling they indulge in cooking and pairing wines with food at home in Las Vegas.
When we planned our trip to Washington, I was specifically looking for biodynamic vineyards. Biodynamics in wine is a subject I find fascinating and quite honestly, I find I really like speaking to the people who are into this practice. They feel like my kind of people.
These people are passionate, care deeply about the planet, they are detail people who are not looking to cut corners just to make a profit. They believe strongly in doing things the right way.
Choosing Hedges Family Estate on Red Mountain
As I looked at the Red Mountain AVA, I searched for a vineyard that was using biodynamic practices. Hedges Family Estate was the only one that came up, so they were kind of a shoo-in.
I continued to look into the property (and it’s stunning) and came across a video on their site, that was warm and a bit enchanting.
Then I read a bit about Sarah Hedges Goedhart and her approach…and well that pushed it over the edge, I knew I wanted to speak with her.
Sarah’s journey to winemaking
We spoke with Sarah about the history of the winery. It’s come along way from the days when her father started buying and selling bulk juice. Back then, her 12 year old self had no interest in the business and no desire to live in eastern Washington.
They came every summer from Seattle, where they lived and as she got older, she got into wine. But her true passion was to be a veterinarian. Her father insisted that she get a business degree. She got that degree in San Diego and then went to Santa Barbara to get the pre-reqs for vet school. It was there that she met her husband. Okay…actually they met in high school, but they reconnected in Santa Barbara.
Getting hooked on wine in Santa Barbara
While going to school she got a job as a tasting room manager at the Santa Barbara Winery. Her future husband was working there in production. It was there that she got hooked. They would pick 2nd harvest grapes and make bathtub wine. They had the bug, and were on the journey to start their own winery.
On to Preston in Healdsburg
They ended up in Healdsburg working at Preston, where she learned biodynamics, organics, in addition to breadbaking and olive production. This was about the entire culture of working with the land.
Preston is a kind of magical place. We visited in 2011, I remember feeling like I’d taken a step back in time. This is simple beautiful Americana with home baked breads and olives in the tasting room. This is a farm and an enchanting one at that.
Returning to the Tri-Cities
California is an expensive place to live for two people just starting out and her brother suggested they come work at the family winery. Sarah started out working on the garden and hosting people and a year later became the assistant winemaker to her uncle, when the position opened up.
When she started as assistant winemaker, Hedges was making about 100,000 cases a year. That’s quite a jump from the 8,000 cases she assisted with at Preston.
Biodynamics at Hedges
In 2007 they started the biodynamic conversion. At this point 3 of their vineyards are biodynamic and 2 are organic. Bit by bit they add livestock. Right now they have chickens and a turkey and they want to add sheep. It’s a gradual process and she wants to be sure that they understand and adapt to each part before moving on.
Native ferments
The first wine they tried to make biodynamically was in 2011, with a native ferment. Native ferments can seem simple, just leave the tank alone right? Nope. Since then they have been using the pied du cuvee method. You get a bucket of grapes and get your fermentation started there.
Soothing tunes for the wines
She has also incorporated music in the cellar. She had a white wine that was a little reductive. It seemed to her that the wine was stressed and struggling, so she asked the cellar crew to play mellow spa music. Of course they thought she was a little crazy, but tasting the before and the after…they became believers.
The Goedhart label
The label had been their dream when they lived in California, but with California costs, it was just not possible. In 2005 they moved to the Tri-Cities and started their label with a winery in the basement of the ranch house they were living in. They both had full time winery jobs and would do this in all their free time as a labor of love.
Their focus was Syrah. Not a fruit bomb, but not an old world overly lean wine either.
This wine was to be elegant with a bit of restraint. They ran the label for 6 years. On weekends they would be open for tastings and she would make wood fired breads and panini’s.
Kids, a full time job and running their own winery became too much, so Hedges took over the label. Once the kids are raised, perhaps they will try this again. In the meantime, she can continue to make their Syrah in the style they like here.
Sarah on Syrah
Sarah and I spoke about the Syrah they are growing here. They have the Joseph Phelps clone, which was the first clone available in Washington. This clone tends to be lean with herbal characteristics. Then they have the Tablas clone. This is the clone that Tablas Creek brought over from Chateauneuf-de-Pape.
She describes this clone as “Wild, savage, and fruity”. They do multiple picks over a few weeks, keeping clones and picks separate and then she can blend these to create that elegant style of Syrah that they enjoy best.
We have recently opened up two different Syrah’s from Hedges and both were pretty exceptional. My palate obviously is in line with the style of Syrah that they are making.
Sarah on the reason for biodynamics
I asked Sarah what was most important to her in biodynamics…
Preserving land for the future, for kids, for everybody. I think that’s the one thing on this planet that we’re screwing up and we really need to turn it around. What do we call ourselves? Stewards of the land it’s our responsibility to keep it around.
Sarah Hedges Goedhart, July 2019
The property is beautiful. That is reason enough to come. In addition the wines we tasted here were delicious and their was quite a portfolio of wines to taste. Sarah even brought in a couple of barrel samples for us to taste. The topper here is the people. Sarah was a joy to speak with, her father Tom said a hello as he came through the tasting room.
They had just finished a morning meeting before Sarah came to speak with us. The volume here is high. They do make quite a bit of Columbia Valley wine in addition to the Estate wines that Sarah focuses on, but it’s still a family business. It has that blend of Washington practicality with the elegance of a French Château, blended with the relaxed biodynamic style that Sarah brings.
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Robin Renken is a wine writer and Certified Specialist of Wine. She and her husband Michael travel to wine regions interviewing vineyard owners and winemakers and learning the stories behind the glass.
When not traveling they indulge in cooking and pairing wines with food at home in Las Vegas.
If you are familiar with biodynamics, the first thing that will come to mind when you hear the word is often cowhorns. Bill Steele and his wife Barb, run their property biodynamically and own it right up front with their name, Cowhorn Wine.
The truth about those cowhorns
If you are not familiar with biodynamics, one of the most commonly discussed practices involves cowhorns. Cowhorns are filled with manure and buried in the ground, where they perculate over the winter and come out in the spring filled with all sorts of good microbes. This is then made into a solution (Preparation 500) which is sprayed in the vineyard to encourage all those good microbes to flourish in the soils.
Visiting Cowhorn Wines
Last July we had an opportunity to spend the morning with Bill Steele at his biodynamic vineyard in Southern Oregon’s Applegate Valley AVA. Bill walked us through the vineyard. It’s set in a valley and feels like it’s own world. The sound of birds in the trees that surround and dot the property, the buzz of bees as they wake up in the lavender patch, the sound of the water trickling over rocks from the pond…all are enough to make you want to move in and never leave.
The decision to go biodynamic
Bill and his wife Barb were living a homeopathic lifestyle, both of them working in the financial sector. They were ready to make a lifestyle change and get back to the land and found this property. As they explored options for farming techniques for their vineyard, Barb met with some biodynamic farmers in Sonoma. It was more than just the farming techniques, this was a group of like minded people who were open and willing to share. Barb felt they had found friends. These were people who held the same reverence for the earth and they were an inclusive group.
Receiving help and paying it forward
They had help getting started from Brickhouse in the Willamette and from Benzinger in Sonoma. Now as Troon (another vineyard in the Applegate Valley) works toward becoming biodynamic, they can pay it forward, helping as they were helped.
And they were lucky. When they purchase the property it had been untouched for 15 years, so they started their biodynamic vineyard from a relatively clean slate. Troon has a harder road to hoe. Their vineyard had been managed conventionally for a period of time and the journey to biodynamic will take longer, as they restore the vineyard to a semblance of normalcy in soil.
Lavender at Cowhorn supporting pollinators and biodyversity
Why Demeter Certification?
I asked Bill about why he felt Demeter Certification was important. I know wineries that are farming in a biodynamic style but have found the certification to be difficult due to time and expense. For him, it is important because as he says “Wine travels”. With his asparagus, it will be sold close by and people can get out and see how he is growing. With wine, if you are sitting on the other coast and want to support biodynamic vineyards by having a bottle in a restaurant, or picking up one at the store, the Demeter certification is the only way you can be sure of what you are getting in the bottle.
Biodynamics in the winery
I had seen on their website that they were certified as a Biodynamic farm & Winery. I don’t often hear about the winery side of biodynamics and asked Bill about this.
There’s over 200 additions that wineries can put into our wines without disclosing. The only one that we can read about is sulfites. So at Cowhorn, as the winemaker I can guarantee you that there are no additives in there….I actually make my own sulfites. What I do is, I take distilled water and pure SO2 gas, and I diffuse the gas through the water to a certain concentration. The reason for that most folks will use something called “potassium metabisulfite”. I don’t really know exactly what’s in it, but what I wanted was the purest wine that I could have. So what’s in my wines is: organic grapes Demeter certified, a little bit of distilled water and a little bit of SO2 gas, and that’s it.
Bill Steel July 2019
The Patio and creek at Cowhorn
Why biodynamic?
I asked Bill what the most important thing about biodynamics was to him.
I think the thing that is most important to me is that 365 days a year I can have people on the property. My friends kids, my nieces, my nephews, the dogs, people bring dogs here everyday. There is no hazmat suit here, so it’s a safe environment.
Bill Steele July 2019
Quite honestly, I’ve asked this same question to other biodynamic growers and the answer is the same.
The truth about industrial agriculture
Perhaps we don’t think about the hazmat suits that are so often found in agriculture. We prefer to think of bucolic farms and quite honestly, agriculture prefers that we have that image in our minds. But it’s there. Industrial agriculture, which is probably where your lunch came from is filled with chemicals in fertilizers and pesticides. The people who work these farms pay a price with their health. They typically don’t get paid much and rarely have insurance. There is a reason that these farms use migrant workers. You see photos in ads of beautiful produce on the vine, not the chemical sprayers and then the people doing the backbreaking work of picking and breathing in the chemicals left behind.
So choosing biodynamics, or even organic or sustainable foods and wines, makes a difference. Perhaps for you, the choice is just for your own health. But there is a bigger picture, with many more facets. We will continue to explore these through vineyards and wineries…but it carries over to so much more in our world today.
Visiting Cowhorn
The Tasting Room at Cowhorn
If you want to get out and see this beautiful vineyard for yourself… you will find them in Southern Oregon, outside the city of Jacksonville at 1665 Eastside Road, Jacksonville, OR 97530.
They are open for drop ins from 11-4 Thursday to Sunday. You can also reserve a tour or tasting on their website. https://cowhornwine.com/#visit
For more on Cowhorn Wine check out a couple other pieces we have done.
Hmm…is that allowed? National Zinfandel Day is celebrated in the US and is supported by ZAP (Zinfandel Advocates and Producers). While the majority of Zinfandel is grown in California, where it arrived around 1850, it can be found around the world. You’ll hear about Primitivo in Italy. Is it the same as Zinfandel? Well, they both are clones of Tribidrag from Croatia that migrated and evolved in their new locations.
Zinfandel from Australia
Lowe Wines – David Lowe
Our Zin for Zinfandel day is from Lowe Wines in Mudgee Australia. We spent an afternoon with David Lowe at the winery when we visited Australia. He is fascinating to speak with about many things, but we tried to keep our conversation to wine.
In Australia, Zinfandel is not one of their top grapes, but you will find it doing well in the Barossa Valley, Riverina, McClaren Vale & Mudgee. So how did David Lowe get into wine and then into Zinfandel? After deciding to be a winemaker at 15, David at one point went to work for a wine company and was exposed to wines from around the world. He even met Robert Mondavi. With his boss he tasted, the 20 top rated wines in the world at that time, 9 of which were biodynamic or organic. That had him hooked. In the 2000’s the biodynamic conference in Australia really gave him the information he needed to take his property that direction. 20 years later, they are still constantly improving on their biodynamic/organic property.
David Lowe of Lowe Winery in Mudgee Australia
David fell for the wines of Sonoma and Dry Creek. The best Zins in California come from Lodi, Paso Robles, Amador County or Sonoma. He met Fred Peterson of Peterson Winery, who became a mentor for him.
David’s Mentor – Fred Peterson
Fred Peterson began as a viticulturalist developing vineyards in Sonoma County’s Dry Creek in 1983. In ’87 he launched his winery. His philosophy is Zero Manipulation. He is an iconoclast and farms with low tech and high attention. His style leans toward old world style and he is well respected in California.
Fred came to Lowe and suggested that they plant Zinfandel. Like California, they found quartz soil here, which is common to gold mining areas. This quartz soil holds minerals and is well drained, good for grapes. When Fred suggested planting Zin, he told them to “treat it badly”.
Head pruned/bush trained vines
Lowe Wines in Mudgee Zinfandel Vines bush trained
Zin can often have huge bunches that can get to over 3 pounds. They can be massive and have great difficulty with humidity causing mold and disease late in the season. To keep the bunches smaller, they head pruned. This keeps the vines low to the ground in kind of a bonsai style. The bunches and berries stay smaller, with tougher skins and a greater skin to juice ratio. This also allows for better airflow in the vine, keeping the humidity issues down.
Planting density and spacing for tractors
Bush trained vines widely spaced at Lowe Wine in Mudgee Australia
In planting density they went 10 by 10 feet (or 3 x 3 meters). Some of this has to do with tractors. Newer regions, plant vineyards to fit the tractors. In the old world, the vineyards came first, so you will see tractors built to fit the vineyards. Here the 10 x 10 spacing with the bush vines allows them to mix up their tractor drives. It’s not just one row that you are constantly driving back and forth between the trellis’. Here they can mix it up, driving 8 different paths between the vines (think like cutting a pie!)
Zinfandel in the Lowe Vineyard
Zinfandel Vines with leaves just coming out at Lowe Wines Tinja vineyard in Mudgee Australia
The vineyards for the Zin sit near the cellar door at 500 meters (1640 feet). We walked the block that is in front of the winery. It was early spring and we were just a little past bud break, with the knarled vines, just tipped with green.
This region, sitting on the western side of the Great Dividing Range, starts it’s season a little later than the more coastal areas. While in Shoalhaven, Southern Highlands and driving through the Hunter Valley, we saw lots more green on the vines. Here the higher altitude and the location inland, keep the bud-break a little later.
Local artist Rachael Flynn was commissioned to illustrate the tour via a map which is available at the cellar door.
They have a map for a wine walk that takes you around the biodiverse property, through the fruit orchard, past the compost and bird habitat through the vineyard blocks and nut orchard. We strolled taking in the space. Cloud covered but still dry, the skies were overcast while the brown dirt in the fields belied the fact that it was spring. Just in front of the winery there were planter boxes filled with vegetables and greens. The patio had a trellis’ roof covered in vines. There were tables and games in a stand of stone pines down the drive for picnicers.
The Zin House
Lowe Wines in Mudgee Zinfandel
We did not have time to visit the Zin House, the farmhouse restaurant on property run by David’s wife Kim Currie. This is local food, centered around their biodynamic garden, served with Lowe wines as well as other local wines. Alexander, Kim and David’s son, oversees the cellar and wine selection for the restaurant. We met him the following day as he stopped in while we were speaking with Sam at Vinifera Wines. This is a small community and the comradery between businesses is wonderful to see.
Lowe Wine Zinfandel Style
Lowe 2016 Zinfandel Mudgee Australia
The style of Zin they make a Lowe is more elegant. It is not the big jammy Zins (you remember Tobin James). These are lighter and more elegant. They are hand-harvested from 5 head trained blocks around winery from biodynamic fruit. They ferment in was lined concrete fermenters. The label says they are “naturally brewed with indigenous yeast from the vineyard”. These age in 4500 L American oak casks for 2 years and are unfiltered and unfined. This wine does sit at 15.2% abv.
2016 Lowe Zinfandel
I remember David speaking of loving the smell of Christmas Cake in Zinfandel. At the time, my translation of that was “fruit cake”. I remember my mother making fruit cake when I was a child. All those bright died colored squares of some kind of fruit. The blue pieces scared me a little. But Christmas Cake….well that conjures pictures of the party at Fezziwig’s! There’s a little more depth just thinking of that cake. It’s not one that I have actually tasted, but I know the smell now, from dipping my nose in that glass. (Confession…we are early decorators for the holidays and I smelled and sipped this wine in a tree lit room…for research, of course).
The nose on this wine is big. It is dried fruits, like raisins and currants all plumped up in brandy and spices. Yep, Christmas Cake. The nose is almost syrupy.
Lowe 2016 Organic Zinfandel
After a whiff, I looked at the glass on the table, backlit by the tree and could see the ruby color with the light shining through. I think after that nose, I was surprised that the light came through. Then I swished it in my mouth. Here came the elegance. The mouth feel was vibrant and medium weight and those red tones certainly indicated a level of acidity. The tannins were lightly chewy and smoothed out gradually. When I stuck my nose back in I found a bit of mint behind all those plump raisins and some cooked berries with baking spices.
Michael had made some homemade chili early that day, and we curled up on the couch with this wine, the chili, the tree and a little late night TV. I closed my eyes briefly and did a little virtual revisit to Mudgee. Here’s a bit for you.
A virtual stroll at Lowe Wines
We visited Mudgee while we were in Australia for the Wine Media Conference in October on #OurAussieWineAdventure. For more information on the region you can visit the following sites
More often than not, when we travel to wine country we find ourselves drawn to biodynamic vineyards. So it should be no surprise that when Michael and I went through the cellar to choose a couple of bottles to celebrate our Anniversary, we each chose a bottle and then realized that both were biodynamic. So what is it that pulls us this direction?
I have heard at least one winemaker speak about “finding his people”, when he discovered biodynamics, and when we meet these people, we usually feel the same. What draws these people to this method? I’ve read articles and spoken with people in vineyards and in wineries and I’m digging deeper on my understanding of “biodynamics”. There is alot here to unpack. Today, we will start with some of the basics.
Digging into Biodynamics
Biodynamics – as per Merriam Webster
“: of or relating to a system of farming that follows a sustainable, holistic approach which uses only organic, usually locally-sourced materials for fertilizing and soil conditioning, views the farm as a closed, diversified ecosystem, and often bases farming activities on lunar cycles Followers of biodynamic viticulture not only abstain from the use of chemicals, but also take a more holistic approach, viewing their environment—the soil, plants and animals—as a working unity that should be as self-sustaining as possible.— Alison Napjus
Biodynamics as we speak of it today, came from a series of lectures given by Dr. Rudolf Steiner in 1924. He was a philosopher and scientist, which really gives you insights into where his studies were going. Influenced by Goethe and he was the founder of “anthroposophy” which was a spiritual movement. He believed in the link between science and spiritualism.
There is a rabbit hole here. I could (and I expect I will) do quite a bit more digging on Mr. Steiner and not all of it will make me happy. But, his work in agriculture looked at the farm as one unit and looked at a farm’s health in this way, much like holistic/homeopathic medicine, where you look at the whole patient and not just one symptom. That I can wrap my head around.
The Farmers Almanac & The Gardeners Labyrinth
I was feeling a little concerned about my research, when I came across hawkwakawaka and her brilliant sketches. (WakawakaWineReviews.com) This filled in some gaps for me, and I highly recommend taking a look at her breakdown of biodynamics. It is easy to understand and her sketches make it quite entertaining.
I grew up planting the garden depending on the cycles of the moon as listed in the farmer almanac, as did many of the people my family knew. I took it as traditional farming, but it’s influence, as I learned from Elaine’s sketches, comes from Thomas Hill’s “The Gardeners Labyrinth”(I’ve included a link to a beautiful photo of a page on archive.com). The Farmer’s Almanac was first published in 1792 and is still published annually today. It gives annual schedules for planting according to the lunar cycles.
Stick with me here…this just makes sense. Calendars are a man made created thing. For early farmers the calendar was the seasons and the cycles of the moon.
Biodiversity and the Demeter Association
The Demeter Association, that certifies biodynamic farms, set a farm standard, that requires biodiversity. This to me is simple sustainable farming. Biodiversity as opposed to monoculture is just common sense. Any ecosystem is affected when you remove an element, the wolves at Yosemite for instance.
In addition there are requirements for soil managment, animal welfare, as well as the use of preparations (yes, this is where the cowhorns and cow poop come in), and the calendar with fruit, flower, leaf & root days which indicates when certain tasks should be done. We won’t dive that deep today, but we will later. These are things I find interesting and fascinating and I want to know more about them.
Biodynamic wines and the people behind them
My first exposure to biodynamics came through Tablas Creek in Paso Robles. I had an opportunity to speak with Jason Haas about the practice as they used it there. Their influence, of course, came from the Perrins at Chateau de Beaucastel in the Rhône where they have been using this practice for a while. Jill Barth just did a fantastic interview with Marc Perrin about this on Forbes. But surprisingly, the wines we chose today, were not Tablas…(I keep track of the vintage calendar closely, and many of the bottles in our cellar are still resting and aging).
Oregon and biodynamics
On our last couple of trips to Oregon, we spoke with many winemakers who are farming biodynamically. This was where the two bottles that Michael and I chose hailed from.
Johan Vineyard and Winery
Johan Vineyard in the Willamette Valley’s Van Duzer Corridor
I first discovered Johan when I came across an online seminar on Oregon wines. The experts on the panel spoke on wineries to watch in Oregon and the woman who mentioned Johan, was emphatic that they were doing some amazing things and were to be watched. We determined that we would stop in on our next visit to the area.
Tree stump inoculated for mushrooms at Johan. Part of the biodiversity at this Biodynamic Vineyard
Jack and the compost at Johan in the Van Duzer Corridor
View of the Johan Vineyard in the Van Duzer Corridor of Oregon’s Willamette Valley
We dropped into the tasting room and were lucky enough to meet Jack, who walked us through the wines and so much more. On our last visit we set up an early morning visit to talk with Jack and walk the property in the Van Duzer Corridor AVA. The vineyard and the winery are certified biodynamic here. Their Pét Nat is a favorite of mine.
Johan 2018 Pétillant Naturel Melon
Johan Vineyards 2018 Melon Pét Nat from Oregon’s Van Duzer Corridor
Pét Nat or Pétillant Naturel, is a sparkling wine made in the “method anscestral”. In this method, the wine is bottled before the first fermentation is complete so the carbon dioxide from the end of the fermentation is trapped in the bottle. This makes the wine light and fizzy and the alcohol is relatively low. Unfined and unfiltered, you get a little bit of funk here that rounds the wine and makes it warm and comfy. Often people say that Pét Nats are like cider and this one does have that style of aromas and mouthfeel.
Cowhorn
Cowhorn Tasting Room View
Well, the name of this winery is definitely a giveaway as to it’s thoughts on biodynamics. Cowhorn is in Southern Oregon’s Applegate Valley. Bill & Barbara Steele founded the vineyard in 2002. As they researched growing techniques they met some biodynamic growers and found a group of people they could get on board with.
Bill Steele of Cowhorn
Bill spent a morning with us this past summer, showing us around the beautiful property, talking about their biodiversity and the biodynamic techniques they use. (Our background photo for this post is the lavender garden on their vineyard.) The vineyard sits at about 1,550 feet in soils best suited to Rhône varieties, so that is what you will find planted here. The soils are alluvial, from when the Applegate river came through the entire area. He also walked us through their wines in their beautiful Living Building certified tasting room.
Cowhorn 2015 Sentience
Cowhorn 2015 Sentience
The Sentience is a Syrah. For this vintage the Sentience came from 10 tons of Syrah harvested on September 29th and 30th (2015). This wine sits at 13.7% abv and is a deep purple that smells of black fruits, herbs and eucalyptus.
Today’s conclusion
So, Michael and I lean toward biodynamic wines. Why is that?
Back to Nature
Perhaps it is the idea of a more natural way of growing, getting back to the earth. Across the board the winemakers and growers we have spoken with say that the most important thing about biodynamics to them is the fact that the vineyards are safe. The animals, children and people who come to the property or live there, can safely wander through the vines without concern for dangerous chemicals.
Like minded people
Perhaps it is the people…I have yet to meet a biodynamic winemaker or grower that I didn’t like. These are practical people who have a reverence for the earth and a passion for keeping it safe while growing something amazing.
Lively wines
Maybe it’s the wine? I have heard it said that biodynamic wines feel more lively in your mouth and for my personal experience I find that to be true. There is something energetic in the way the wine feels in your mouth. I don’t have science to back that, yet.
There is so much more to explore. We will get into the history, as well as the preparations and the science behind them. There are so many great people to speak with and we look forward to sharing our conversations as we continue to explore biodynamics in wine.
You can look forward to a deeper into our conversations with Jack at Johan and Bill at Cowhorn, as well as other winemakers we spoke with like Sarah Hedges at Hedges Family Wine on Red Mountain in Washington’s Yakima Valley or Rod Windrim at Krinklewood Vineyard around the globe in Australia’s Hunter Valley of New South Wales. We find more and more vineyards either growing biodynamically or leaning that way and we will continue to bring you interviews and insights from these individuals.
If you have found biodynamic wineries that you love please share them with us in the comments!
1 : of
or relating to a system of farming that follows a sustainable, holistic
approach which uses only organic, usually locally-sourced materials for
fertilizing and soil conditioning, views the farm as a closed, diversified
ecosystem, and often bases farming activities on lunar cycles Followers of biodynamic viticulture not only abstain from the use of chemicals, but also
take a more holistic approach, viewing their environment—the soil, plants and
animals—as a working unity that should be as self-sustaining as possible.— Alison Napjus biodynamic practices
2 : grown
by or utilizing biodynamic farming biodynamic vegetables a biodynamic
vineyard
I grew up with a Mother Earth News on the coffee table, the Farmers Almanac from my dad’s shelf was referred to for the garden. I do Yoga and believe in chakras. You will find a stone or crystal in my pocket most days and essential oils in my drawer. I have a dear friend who has a house in Hawaii, she and a friend put out gifts for Pele during the last expansion of Kilauea and I am sure that it protected her home. Yet somehow, when I speak with winemakers or vineyard owners about biodynamics, the skeptic comes out in me. I will talk with them about how it is probably the attention to detail in the vineyard that causes the results to be so good. And they ARE good, of that I am sure.
Michael and I had a
discussion about this recently. I value
his perspective, as he tends to be analytical with these things. We talked about the preparations, with cow
manure in a cow horn buried in the ground.
Sounds like a “potion” right? But
you are creating something with the biology in the ground, the micro-organisms
on the site. That’s science. We discussed the leaf days, which I have been
really hesitant to buy into, but they are based on moon cycles. I’m a woman, I believe in moon cycles. Again…there is some science behind it.
Finally we came around to the founder, Rudolph Steiner, and I think I found my answer. I don’t have enough depth of knowledge on him and I am skeptical of one guy coming up with all the answers. (ie, I love Bikram Yoga. Bikram Choudhury, the founder of this style yoga…not so much)
What I will tell you, is that I have yet to meet a biodynamic wine that I didn’t like, and when it comes to the people I have met on vineyards who are growing biodynamically, they are some of my very favorite people in the industry. You can check out a couple of interviews we have done with Jason Haas of Tablas Creek and Rudy Marchesi of Montinore.
But for now, lets get on to a quick
explanation of biodynamics and then move on to the wines!
Biodynamics
As the definition at the top
says, this is about a holistic approach to farming that looks at the farm as a self-sustaining
system. It takes organic a step further. These farms work without chemicals and adhere
to a lunar calendar.
Biodynamics in Winemaking
Rudy Marchesi reminded me in
our interview
…biodynamic practices were established as agricultural practices. …Biodynamic winemaking is an extension of the thought process.
Rudy Marchesi, in our interview July 2018.
Biodynamic practices have been adapted to growing wine grapes and processing wine. Demeter International is the most recognized organization for official biodynamic certification. https://www.demeter-usa.org/
Certification is difficult, can
be expensive and must be renewed annually. Biodyvin is another organization in
Europe that certifies vineyards http://www.biodyvin.com/en/home.html
You can find certification logos on bottles in different forms.
Biodynamic logos on labels
Finding Biodynamic wine
It’s tough! If you are not out in wine country it can be hard to find! In Las Vegas I could not find any biodynamic French wines at the “to be unnamed” wine store that claims to be “total” on the wines is carries. The manager told me that 100% of the people buying wine do not care about biodynamics. After a sharp glance from me, he updated his statement to “only 1 out of 100 customers care”. I did admonish him, that as people in the industry, it was our job to educate people on this subject.
So I searched and finally purchased wine online to be shipped to me. I was lucky to have Jeremy at wine.com who was willing to do the research and provide me with multiple links to wines they had available to choose from. I settled on the Château Maris Les Planels Old Vine Syrah La Liviniere Minervois 2011 and the Domaine Fouassier Sancerre Les Chailloux 2016.
The bottles arrived and I
found them to be without Demeter labels.
But I had researched and each of the wineries said they grew
biodynamically! Well they are. My love/hate
relationship with certifications comes out here. Running a winery is a busy all-encompassing
business. Certification means extra time
and money that many wineries may not have.
Also, it depends on when they were certified! I checked my Tablas Creek bottles. They were certified in October of 2017, so it
won’t be until the 2018’s are released that they will be able to put the
Demeter logo on their label.
So…while I won’t show you
Demeter logos on the bottles I tasted, I will tell you about the vineyards and
their biodynamic practices. And then…we
will get to the delicious pairings.
Domaine Fouassier
Sancerre Les Chailloux 2016
Domaine Fouassier 2016 Les Chailloux Sancerre
Sauvignon Blanc from Sancerre, Loire, France $29.99
About
Domaine Fouassier
This domaine has been in the Fouassier family for 10 generations, with Benoit and Paul Fouassier at them helm. The domaine is 59 hectares of mostly Sauvignon Blanc. Wines are vinified by parcel here to showcase the individuality of the sites. They have members of Biodyvin since 2009.
Biodynamics
to them means enchancing the soil and the plant, applying preparations at
precise times and working the soils through ploughing and hoeing.
“A wine
domaine, just like any other agricultural concern, is considered to be a living
entity. The soils that we work are not just there to support the vine but are a
living environment and a source of energy for the plant, just as much as the
air it breathes.
The 2016 Les Chailloux is 100% Sauvignon Blanc comes from a vineyard with vines between 10 and 35 years old. It spends 12 months in stainless steel. The soil on this vineyard is clay, chalk and limestone and you get the minerality immediately on the nose. Alcohol on this is 12.7%.
The Pairing – Cod with Lemon Purée
Domaine Fouassier 2016 Les Chailloux Sancerre with cod and lemon purée
On their site they suggested pairing with oysters, fish & chips or cod with lemon purée. I went with the 3rd as I knew I had cod in the freezer, and searched for a recipe online for the lemon purée. I found a recipe for Sea bass with Meyer lemon purée and zucchini salad on farm to plate and did a riff on it. http://www.farmonplate.com/2013/09/15/sea-bass-with-meyer-lemon-puree-and-zucchini-salad/
My
lemon puree came out looking decidedly different than theirs, but regardless,
it was delicious and it was an absolutely perfect pairing with this wine. The notes of mineral in the wine reflected in
the cod, the lemon notes of the purée mirroring the wine. It was truly blissful.
Butter poached cod and lemon purée with Zucchini and lemon salad
Michael
noted that after enjoying the pairing and then just sipping on the wine, that
the wine was enhanced by the lingering flavors on his palate from the food.
Château Maris Les Planels Old Vine Syrah La Liviniere Minervois 2011
Chateau Maris Cru La Livinière 2011 Les Planels
Syrah/Shiraz from Minervois, Languedoc-Roussillon, France $31.99
About Château Maris
Wine spectator says that “Château Maris is one of the five most environmentally friendly wineries in the world.”
Robert Eden and Kevin Parker bought this vineyard in 1997 with the idea of growing grapes and making wine, in harmony with nature. They knew they wanted to go chemical free, and decided to do a test with biodynamics. They set up two compost piles and treated one with a biodynamic preparation, while the other went without. Testing later, they found the compost treated with the biodynamic treatment had far more living organisms than the one without…and the path was set.
They have been Ecocert since 2002, and Biovin since 2004. In 2008 they became Demeter Certified and in 2016 set up as a BCorp. You can read more about their biodynamic philosophy here at http://www.chateaumaris.com/gb/about/a-biodynamic-philosophy/
The wine
This Syrah comes from a 3 hectare parcel with soil of clay-limestone and clay-sandstone. It sits at 14.5% alcohol. Tasting notes on this wine noted, tar and smoke on the nose with notes of black currants and black licorice.
The first thing I got on the nose was smoke, for Michael it was blueberries. When I dipped my nose back in I could find a little tar, but it was savory. There were nice tannins. This wine was big, but not too big, kind of a gentle giant. This wine did not feel like a 2011. It’s aging is really graceful. It has probably mellowed, but still is vibrant.
The Pairing – bacon wrapped tenderloin fillets
Château Maris 2011 Le Planels pairing with bacon wrapped tenderloin fillet, fennel and apple salad and potatoes with Herbs de Provençe
I again went to the tasting notes and pulled from these for my pairing. I picked up a couple bacon wrapped tenderloin fillets and encrusted them with cumin and black pepper (both spices often found on the nose of syrah). These got seared on both sides and went into the oven to finish. While they were cooking I took some red currant jam, added fresh blackberries, a bit of worchestershire sauce and a bit of anise seeds and slowly cooked it down, to drizzle on top.
We did baby potatoes in butter and herbs de Provençe and a baby greens salad topped with fennel and green apple in a lemon vinaigrette with just a touch of lavender.
Bacon wrapped tenderloin fillet encrusted in black pepper and cumin, with a blackberry and red currant sauce, fennel and apple salad and potatoes with Herbs de Provençe
The pairings all worked pretty well. The fennel in the salad pulling up those black licorice notes (although I would have lightened up on the amount of lemon). The umami from the tenderloins with the berry sauce went beautifully. This was a delicious and very comfortable pairing.
The wrap up – is it worth it to search out Biodynamic Wines?
That’s a pretty easy yes. Here’s my take on why. When I’m searching for a new wine the possibility exists that I may not like it. Even with scores etc…it’s often hard to be sure of the quality of the wine you are getting. I have never been disappointed with a Biodynamic wine. There may be many reasons for this, the farming is one, the attention to detail demanded by this type of farming is another and quite honestly the vineyard that is determined to do this is committed with time and resources to doing this and that may be one of the biggest reasons that it works so well.
Will it be difficult to find biodynamic wines? Probably to start, but if all of you go out and start asking about biodynamic wines in your local wine shops and restaurants, the market will follow! Businesses will add items that they hear people consistently asking for. So do us all a favor and start asking!
The French #Winophiles
The French #Winophiles are a group of wine writers that gather monthly to together, tackle a subject on French Wine. I am privileged and honored to be a part of this lovely group. This month, the topic was biodynamic French wines. You have seen my take on this, now you can read on, to see biodynamic French wines from a variety of points of view! There will be so many different wines and pairings! And…you can join us on twitter on Saturday morning January 19th as we spend an hour chatting about the wines we tasted and biodynamics and the impact on the wines (as well as the impact on the planet!). Gwendolyn from Wine Predator will be leading the discussion at 8 am PST or 11 am EST.
More great pieces from the French #Winophiles on Biodynamic French Wine
In our conversation with Rudy Marchesi of Montinore Estates, we asked him about biodynamics. The winery was Certified biodynamic in 2008. Rudy had set this process up while he was still working for the Montinore Estate as an employee.
The Motivation & learning
Pheloxera was what originally motivated him to look at biodynamics. They had so much vine loss and he was looking at how to combat this, instead of just ripping everything out. So he started studying soil microbiology.
When he started out, he was more into organic farming. I would imagine his own garden informed this. But working with the wholesale importer on the east coast, he just kept finding that the biodynamic wines he sold in the French Portfolio, were the wines he liked the best.
At the time there were only a few books available and only two places in the US that had training. He found a tiny college in NY state teaching a course. This was just 1 class per month for 5 months and then a 5 day intensive. He took this information and tried it out and had tremendous results right away.
…biodynamic practices were established as agricultural practices. …Biodynamic winemaking is an extension of the thought process.
Rudy Marchesi, in our interview July 2018.
Biodynamics the practical and the mystical
I expressed my skepticism regarding some of the practices. I have never been one to believe in “leaf days”,
Rudy told me a story about his home garden. He always planted fall vegetables. Two weeks before the recent solar eclipse in 2017, he planted his fall endives. He planted a second row on the day before the eclipse. He had read that you shouldn’t plant anything for a few days around an eclipse, but he needed to get them in. The first row was beautiful. The second row only had 15% germination.
Rudy says that big events are significant. They don’t pick on black out days. They have to prune from January 1st to March 20th and it’s all got to be done. So they don’t take days off, blackout, leaf day or not. With racking and tasting they just watch to see if it makes a big difference.
80% of wine making is done in the vineyard anyway. It’s all about the quality of the fruit you get. I think that’s why, it’s perceptible but not understood, why biodynamic wines have that certain something that’s…. you put them in your mouth, they’re lively they’re interesting, they’re there, they have a presence. What is it? You can’t measure it. There is so much in life we can’t measure anyway you know, so it’s some sort of life force that we are creating in the vineyard in the farm to begin with. That translates through the vineyard to the fruit and to the bottle. And that’s what I think it is. You can’t measure that. You can taste it!
Rudy Marchesi, in our interview July 2018.
Vines at Montinore Estate
There is more to come…
We will have more with Rudy…he took us to the cellar after this to do some barrel tastings which were delicious and fascinating. In the meantime feel free to check out the rest of our conversation with him:
While on the Central Coast in April we were lucky enough to meet with Jason Haas, General Manager of Tablas Creek Vineyard in Paso Robles. Jason graciously took time out of his busy schedule to spend a couple of hours with Michael and I in the vineyard and the winery.
Tablas Creek Vineyard is the collaborative effort between the Perrin Family of Chateau du Beaucastel in Chateauneuf du Pape in France’s Rhone Valley and the Haas Family. Vineyard Brands, the wine import company founded by Robert Haas had been the exclusive importer for Beaucastel wines. In 1989 they founded Tablas Creek Vineyard in the west side of Paso Robles to grow Rhone varieties. In this part of the interview we talk about Biodynamics and the Tablas approach, the similarities and differences between the Tablas Creek wines and the Chateau du Beaucastel wines and the Tablas Creek Wine Library.
This is part two of our series, we will release additional segments where we discuss native yeast fermentations, the use of Foudres (1200 gallon barrels), as well as aging wines. We do a walk through the vineyard to look at the new acreage as well as Scuffy Hill where they grow their field blend. We look at the soil, the biodiversity in the fields and then explore the winery and it’s barrel rooms, before Jason talks us through how they create their blends. There is also Part 1 on the drought, dry farming and head pruning if you missed that. So stick with us…there is lots more to come.
We gathered in the shade just outside the Tablas Creek tasting room. You could tell why we were here by our sturdy shoes. Yes it was almost 100 degrees, but we were wine lovers ready to brave the elements to find out more about this wonderful winery with a vineyard walk and tasting.
Levi Glenn, the Tablas Creek Viticulturist gave us some basics on the winery history before we got started. The Perrin and Haas families joined to find vineyard land here in California to grow the Rhone varieties that the Perrins’ have long grown at Chateau de Beaucastel in France’s Rhone Valley. The Tablas Creek property is on the same latitude, the climate and soil are both similar and when they bought this 102 acre property in 1989 they began the process of bringing the traditional Rhone varieties grown on the Perrins’ estate to this country. The cuttings from France had to go through a three year process to be sure that they were virus free. In order to have enough vines to actually make wine, they started a nursery, bench-grafting vines to plant on the estate and enough to sell to other vineyards. While they no longer have the nursery, they partner with NovaVine in Sonoma to create Tablas Creek clones from grafted vines and bud wood. Many wineries are now raising Tablas Creek clones to create their Rhone style wines.
They grow sustainably, organically and use biodynamic practices. There is a compost tea that they use to fertilize the vines and they plant sections of the vineyard with insectaries to encourage beneficial insects.
We headed down the drive then past the head-pruned Mourvedre by the gate and continued down to the lambing barn and barnyard. Levi talked about the animals, they have 2 donkeys and 5 alpacas that guard the herd of 40 sheep. The sheep are primarily used to mow down the cover crops. Over the season they can cover 30-40 acres of vineyard. In addition they fertilize as they mow. Once the vineyards are growing the sheep have to be moved elsewhere and still need to be fed. Typically they grow legumes as cover crops to add nitrogen back into the soil. They had some vines that were showing a little too much vigor so instead they planted barley as their cover crop. This works beautifully as they can then harvest the barley to use as feed for the herd.
While here they poured us a cool and refreshing glass of the 2012 Vermentino, one of only 2 non Rhone varieties grown on the estate. This was the wine that got me hooked on Tablas Creek when I recieved it as a gift from a friend. Enjoying this wine as the sun came dappled through the poplars, we took in the animals, the view of the cutting shed and the beautifully ripening Grenache.
Refreshed, it was time to move on up the long hill to the top where Chef Jeff Scott waiting under the oak trees. The vineyard views are beautiful. At the top of the hill you have a view of the las tablas creek area including Halter Ranch next door. Reveling in the shade they poured us glasses of the 2011 Estate Rose, a blend of Mourvedre, Grenache and Counoise. We enjoyed the view and Chef brought out a tray of figs topped with goat cheese to pair.
We headed back down the hill to the head pruned Roussanne block. We believe these are the only head-pruned Roussanne vines in the state. The 2009 Roussane is a gorgeous golden color. Rousanne is often very difficult to grow (NovaVine calls it “the princess”). This is the backbone to the Esprit du Beaucastel Blanc their flagship white wine adding richness, weight and honey with a nice salinity on the backend. Chateau du Beaucastel makes their Roussanne Vielles Vignes which is considered one of the greatest white wines in France. “Roux” is the French word for “russet” which describes the color of the grapes when ripe and gives us the base for the name “Roussanne”. This is the latest ripening white Rhone varieties that are grown at Tablas Creek. The vines respond highly to sunlight and bunches that get sun on the western side will ripen faster than those on the eastern side. This is also a wine that will age well, case in point we were drinking a 2009 and it was rich and stunning. After Levi gave us the run down on the grape, Chef Jeff pulled out the pairing. This was a crostini with fresh ricotta and thyme roasted golden beets topped with a piece of candied bacon. Beets and bacon pair well and both were gorgeous with the wine.
Across from the Roussanne there are scattered fruit trees including some Quince. Levi supplied me with a quick recipe for quince paste.
As we had walked down I noticed a large rack with netting and asked Levi when they netted before harvest. He said that they no longer net. There are so many vineyards locally that the birds no longer descend and feast, but rather just stop in here and there for a snack which is not an issue. They still have air cannons when needed.
We headed back up the hill to the head trained Tannat. This is the other non Rhone variety grown on property. Levi said that it has been called Tablas Creek Zin, as it is so rich, deep and flavorful. This grape thrives in the Tablas Creek climate and soils. Levi says that it takes almost no work and produces consistently good fruit. Tannat is found most notably in the Basque country on the Spanish border. Growing this at Tablas Creek was actually a little bit of an accident. The Perrins’ French nurseryman included cuttings when he packed up the Rhone varieties in 1990 even though it was not requested. His instincts told him that this grape would do well in Paso Robles and I for one would like to thank him! The berries have very thick skins which add to the tannins in the wine. It is fermented open top to allow more oxygen to soften the tannins and then is aged in small barrels again to introduce more oxygen. In 2010 most of the 248 acres of Tannat planted in California came from Tablas Creek cuttings. This wine is beautifully balanced with acid, fruit and tannin. Chef Jeff Scott then had to figure out a way to do a cold red wine pairing out in the vineyard! He succeeded overwhelmingly with this small bite, which still makes my mouth water whenever I think of it (and I think of it often!). He prepared Rillettes in the style of the south of France. The pork is slow cooked for 6 hours in it’s own fat then sits in olive oil, thyme and garlic to soak up some more goodness. This is placed on crostini topped with caramelized onions, drizzled with a pommerey mustard aioli and sprinkled with fleur de sel and black pepper. The fat in the rillettes paired with the acid and tannins in the wine were perfect. We enjoyed the wine, watched the sun set, had some great conversations and suddenly turned around to find that only 1/3 of the group was left! We headed back down to the winery and tasting room in the slowly dimming light, sated and fulfilled. There’s really nothing like being part of the Tablas Creek family. The staff was incredible and the other wine club members we met share our love for great wine and fascinating wine facts. Levi was extremely patient as we all pummeled him with questions, answering and enlightening us. All in all it was a glorious evening.
