Nobody completely agrees on the “definition” of organic framing. A good way to think of
it is the embracement of policies and procedures that are not harmful to Mother Earth. Those who embrace organic farming believe that when you take care of the land, the land will take care of you — in the form of healthy crops.
Biodynamic farming takes the principles of organic farming and, to use a math term, squares them. I like to think of Biodynamic farming as organic farming on steroids. The Biodynamic Association has an informative presentation on its principles and practices here.
More and more, grape growers and wine estates around the world are embracing organic and Biodynamic practices in the vineyard and the cellar. They’re doing so not only because it’s good for Mother Earth, but because it produces stellar wines.
As a winemaker once told me over a few sips of Cabernet Sauvignon just drawn from a barrel in his cellar, “Happy vines make great wines.”
As he explained, the truth in that poetry comes from the fact that without healthy, perfectly ripened grapes, it is impossible for him to craft an outstanding wine. Through blending and the effective use of oak barrels, he may be able to make a good or even very good wine, but he won’t get to “outstanding” without great grapes.
That’s where organic or Biodynamic framing practices come in. The Earth-Friendly Wine Club celebrates the wines made from those practices, in which a vineyard essentially becomes a self-sustaining ecosystem and produces flavor-laden grapes.
Which leads me to my own poem: “When the grapes are flavorful, the wines are wonderful.”
I may be no Edgar Allan Poe, but I know my Merlot.
Great last lines 😝
🙂 thanks, Abby! Cheers!