"Gentlemen, we can rebuild It."

"Steve Austin, astronaut. A man barely alive. Gentlemen, we can rebuild him. We have the technology. We have the capability to build the world's first bionic man. Steve Austin will be that man. Better than he was before. Better, stronger, faster."
Do you know it? Anybody? Anyone? It's the opening narration from... The Six Million Dollar Man! What's the connection to wine? I was hoping you'd ask and I will get back to that in a minute.

Like most of us, you probably have yet to hear about Biodynamics, (not bionics), unless you happen to be into healthy and unconventional farming techniques. For those who have, the concept may still seem a bit odd; a hodge podge of science, astrology, and mysticism. Yet, the Biodynamic movement has been around since 1924, a good twenty years before the organic agriculture movement.

So what is Biodynamics? One of the most comprehensive articles I've found about it on the WWW is at The Wine Anorak, an online wine magazine. However, here is a little background information:

The name comes from the Greek word bios, which means life-energy, and dynamis, meaning vibrant or full of life. The term ‘Biodynamic’ was trademarked in America by the Demeter Association, the largest certification organization of Biodynamic farming. According to Demeter, the movement originated in a series of lectures presented by the Austrian scientist and philosopher, Dr. Rudolf Steiner, and is the oldest certified ecological farming system. Biodynamic agricultural principles emphasize living soil, the farm as a holistic organism, and note both the visible and invisible forces that create a healthy eco-system. The most important principle of Biodynamics is the ideal of the self-contained farm, but its use of bizarre preparations, and a stellar calendar leave some winemakers and connoisseurs shaking their heads. One of these preparations is the fermenting of cow manure in a cow’s horn and burying it over winter to be sprayed on the soil in the spring. Weird, huh?

Biodynamic farmers also closely follow the alignment and patterns of the moon, stars, and planets, and they rely on these cosmic rhythms to determine such things as when to plant for the best chance of germination and the optimum harvest time. Many winemakers are saying that the use of Biodynamics has been beneficial in “healing” their land, and has improved the quality of the grapes. You see, biodynamic viticulturists believe they can rebuild the terrior of the vines that have been "destroyed" by human interventions like fungicides, pesticides and herbicides. They are rebuilding the earth, so to speak, much like Major Steve Austin, the Six Million Dollar Man, was "rebuilt" after a plane crash, and he too came out "improved". I told you I'd get back to that; I never said it would make sense to anyone but me. But, I digress.

Biodynamics is considered by many to be a kind of worldview, a philosophy in which the participants believe in the preservation of the land, and strive to produce products authentic to that particular piece of property. I tell you, whether its Biodynamic practices or strict organic farming methods, I am all for it! Wouldn't we all love to see our planet restored or "rebuilt" if you will? Who cares if they dance by the light of the moon or wear cow horns on their heads (which they certainly do not). That's not the point. It's about people working towards saving our planet from ourselves, and making some damn fine wine in the process... Better, stronger, tastier.