Liquor Mart is In To Organics!
Our selection of Organic & Biodynamic wines has grown considerably over the last four years thanks, in large part, to relocating the section to the front of the store. This unbeatable compilation of the best certified organic & biodynamic wine defines our commitment to promoting the health & vitality of our world.
Many wine producers have been farming organically for generations, but it wasn't really until the 20th century, with the advent of the “agri-business”, that farming converted from natural to synthetic. In order to supply the world's demand for food, farmers had to find ways to increase their yield with each new harvest; this increase was achieved with synthetic fertilizers and the wine industry was no exception. Many producers used this option to produce more wine and make more profit from each acre of vineyard. However, a certified organic winery says "NO!" to synthetic chemicals, fertilizers and pesticides from the vineyard to the bottle. Minimal sulfites are used to prevent bacterial spoilage and oxidation—a method practiced for thousands of years. There are even wines with No Sulfites Added (NSA) that a niche market has latched onto.
Methods for Achieving an Exacting Standard - Organic wines aren’t just about synthetics. There are many routes to promoting the health of the vineyard after making a commitment to chemical-free environment. Some widely used techniques are:
I. Promote Diversity - In addition to grapevines, a farm will have cover crops, fruit, livestock, birds, insects and other flora and fauna to create a balanced ecosystem. Example: Ceago Vinegarden, a biodynamic property in Mendocino, California, has grapevines, lavender, Cyprus tress, olive trees, bats, chickens, goats, birds, a variety of fruits and more.
II. Composting - This widely used method converts all the waste from a winery and vineyard into reusable material, promoting microbial life in their soils. Example: The used material from production (grape skins, sediment, etc.) and waste from vineyard animals, like cows and chickens, is added to compost, creating a world of rich microbes that invigorate the soil and promote the health of the flora & fauna on the farm.
III. Integrated Pest Management - This method aims to focus on specific problems and creates specific solutions as opposed to affecting everything around to alleviate one problem. The practice recognizes insects, their life cycles, predators, hosts and weather patters to define a problem; with this comes the formation of the best answer. Example: Chickens roam the vineyards and pluck harmful bugs off vines preventing the need for insecticides.
IV. Biodynamics – Bio means life and dynamic means energy: Life Energy. In the 1920’s, at the behest of local farmers who were concerned about dwindling crop yields, poor quality harvests, plant & animal diseases and tough, impliable soil, Rudolph Steiner created a method that takes a universal approach to faming. The biodynamic method focuses on the heath of the entire ecosystem, beginning with the soil. After all, healthier soil creates healthier plants, right? Below are some points of the method.
a. Enclosed Ecosystem: A farm should be self-sustaining with no outside inputs. Everything needed for a healthy farm should be grown and raised on the farm itself.
b. Biodynamic Preparations: Mixtures of different elements are dynamized (vigorously stirred into a vortex) in warm water to energize life forces, thereby increasing biological activity.
i. Preparation 500: Coq manure fermented in a cow horn that is buried over the winter. After dynamization, it is sprayed over the soil.
ii. Preparation 501: Ground quartz buried in a cow horn during the spring and summer is dynamized and sprayed over the vineyard. The quartz acts as millions of tiny mirrors that reflect solar rays, thereby supercharging photosynthesis.
iii. Preparations 502-507: Each a different mixture of yarrow, chamomile, valerian flowers, stinging nettle, dandelion and oak bark are applied to the compost or vines to enhance biological activity.
c. Solar & Lunar Time Tables: As you know, the moon, through its gravitational pull, affects ocean tides. But the gravitational pull also effects the life of plants. Harvesting may only occur on ‘leaf’ days and soil applications are done on ‘root’ days; these are the days that solar & lunar influences are best suited for each activity.
So does it get results? Well, having the absolute healthiest grapes possible with which to make wine is a great start. But that is not the only matter. Having a great winemaker is the other half!
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