Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The moon moves the oceans; it has a major influence on water. So the moon's phases in-
fluencethewayplantsgrowthroughthedifferentlevels ofmoisture intheenvironment and
in the plant. The Romans noted that certain crops were more successful if planted when
the moon was in a specific constellation or set of stars. The moon takes two to three days
to pass through a constellation, so this offered a very specific window for different crops.
This, and the location of the other planets in our solar system, is what determines the bio-
dynamic day on the calendar and hence what a winegrower - or gardener - should prior-
itise for that day. They also noted that harvesting at the correct time meant the food lasted
longer. This is because of how the plant stores the water in the fruit/crop at different times
of the lunar cycle. Less water generally means better conservation.
The biodynamics used today has its roots in a series of lectures by Austrian philosopher-
scientist Rudolf Steiner in 1924. With the onslaught of chemical agriculture after World
War Two much of the agricultural wisdom of the previous two millennia was forgotten.
Steiner's lectures helped to keep this knowledge safe for us.
Equallyimportantistheoverarchingconceptofa'wholefarm'self-sustainingsystem.The
farm must not live on inputs from outside, it must achieve a natural equilibrium. If illness
arises, the cause of the problem, not the symptom, is treated.
In a healthy, organically farmed vine, only 10 per cent of the plant is created by what it
takes in from the soil. Only one tenth! The other 90 per cent is created by its complex rela-
tionship with the rest of the elements around it, particularly the sun. Plants are miraculous
in their ability to take the sun's energy and transform it into energy like starch and sugar
that we can eat. If a vine is offered chemical fertilisers and irrigation it becomes like a drug
addict. Not required to find and create its life from natural elements around it, it takes more
and more from its drip. Galileo Galilei said 'Wine is sunlight, held together by water'. What
a poetic way of communicating this incredible truth.
After reading the topic I was convinced that we should try biodynamics. There was sig-
nificant evidence that it would contribute to our quest to make expressive wines. Sean
plannedhisnextphaseofvineyardworkaroundthebiodynamiccalendar.Beforeheheaded
out to start the new season's shoot removal we talked about Dave's order, which was still
up in the air.
'I need to follow up. Can we do his price?' I said.
'With our yields we need twenty per cent more,' he replied.
'But we need this sale. He won't buy our wine at that price. I think we should go at ten
cents over his price. That way it's not enough to scupper the order but it's enough to show
we won't roll over and take whatever price he proposed.'
'Just make sure you get the order,' said Sean putting the pressure of the decision back onto
me. We had to get the order but we also had to agree a price that would keep us in business.
