Elizabeth Candelario's Page

If you care about wine, you should know about Biodynamic agriculture and its impact on wine. Biodynamic wines are intimately connected to the estate. The primary distinction between Biodynamic and conventionally grown wines is that Biodynamic grape growing develops the vineyard’s greatest potential—allowing the vineyard to be the best it can be—and then captures that distinctiveness in the bottle. You will often hear Biodynamic winemakers say that their goal is to make the best wine by making the most authentic wine.

Biodynamic farming meets the organic standard including the prohibition of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides and fungicides, but goes much further. The integration of animals and animal feeds, perennial plants, flowers and trees, water features, and composting is emphasized. Farms are required to maintain at least 10% of total acreage as a biodiversity set-aside. Riparian zones, wetlands, grasslands, and forests: all are considered an integral part of the life of the farm. Specially prepared medicinal plants, minerals, and composted animal manures help increase the vitality of the grapes grown and further anchor each individual farm in time and place.

A healthier vineyard begins with healthier soil. Healthier soil results in expansive root systems, which essentially channel terroir into the grapes. This ensures a wine with an expressive and unique individuality: a “taste of place”.

Demeter is experiencing a groundswell of interest in the winery and grape growing community, and our winery membership has grown from 5 members to over 60 in the past four years. We are forecasting adding more than 20 new wine growers and wineries in 2010 alone.