Biodynamic wine tasting in Europe! What could be better?

Imagine strolling through vine-covered rolling hills. Touring centuries-old cellars. And winding through narrow passageways in ancient medieval hilltop towns. That’s wine tasting in Europe. It’s romantic and enchanting. Think chateaux, manicured gardens and river cruises – each an experience that pairs beautifully with biodynamic wines that sing out of the glass. You’ll feel like you’re starring in your own fairy tale.

Even better news is that biodynamic wine in Europe is making a comeback and the results are delicious. This is not airy-fairy hippy wine. Au contraire! Biodynamic wines are snapping up awards and are stealing the hearts and palates of even the most critical wine snobs. In 2006, Decanter Magazine bestowed Ms. Leflaive of Domaine Leflaive in Burgundy the honor of making the best white wines in the world. Besides, presidents have been known to consult the stars before making important decisions. So, why would it ever be odd for growers and wine makers to consult the cosmos and cycles of nature to grow the best grapes to make award winning wine?

Either way, biodynamic wines have irrevocably entered the luxury market and appear on Michelin starred restaurant wine lists. Why? Well, who wouldn’t want all of the delicious flavor and romance of fine wine without the morning after headache from sulfites? No headache? That’s certainly my fairytale ending after a three-hour wine pairing dinner.

So, why is biodynamic wine (presumably) better?

According to Adam Morganstern, editor of the Organic Wine Journal, “Biodynamics is special because it looks at the vineyard as its own ecosystem. They have a variety of plants and animals. They consider how the water flows. They think about how to attract beneficial insects to the vineyard and they strive to keep the soil healthy. A biodynamic farmer might say, ‘organic farming’ simply does no harm, whereas biodynamics actually improves the health of the vineyard.”

Daniela Paris, author of six books on wine and a wine educator in Rome at Comptoir de France waxes poetic on biodynamic wines. She says, “It’s about respecting and developing a relationship with the soil. We are what we eat and drink. You feel and taste the energy of the grape and the soil. A wine producer is an artist that transfers the secrets of the soil into the glass. The soil wants to tell a story. And the wine you make from it passes on that story.”

Marco Amato, sommelier and director at the Michelin-stared restaurant IMÀGO in Rome’s historic Hassler Hotel notes that “About five years ago, there was a tipping point and more customers were asking for biodynamic wines, especially whites. For all the enjoyment, but less of a headache. This health trend is global. But biodynamic wine was already a part of our culture as it used to be. We have invented nothing but returned to natural cycles. It’s important to remember that we are a part of the solar system.”

Nikki Wooldridge, a private wine broker and level 3 sommelier who specializes in small vintage biodynamic wines, says, “While in Provence, I’m learning about astrological farming at Les Verveines de Vaison, where they use a calendar of weather patterns, moon cycles, eclipses, and the stars to decide when and what to plant. It’s fascinating how well everything grows when it is in harmony with the cycles of nature. Amazing wines are coming from biodynamic vineyards and the wine industry is taking note – even Chateauneuf du Pape!”

Are you ready to taste delicious biodynamic wines?

While France’s Loire Valley, Burgundy, Languedoc, and Alsace are certainly the forerunners in biodynamic wineries, you’ll also find delicious must-try producers in Italy, Germany, Austria, Hungry and even Slovenia. Take note, biodynamic wineries aren’t so much in Tuscany and Bordeaux. If in doubt, look for the Demeter symbol on the bottle that authenticates the wine as biodynamic.

Here is a list of amazing and some award-winning biodynamic wineries where you’ll experience all the romance and pleasure of wine tasting in Europe.

Burgundy, France 

Domaine Leflaive

Domaine Rossignol Trapet

Rhone Valley, France

Domaine Montirius

Domaine Dieulefit

Domaine DeMarcoux

M. Chapoutier

Alsace, France

Domaine Marcel Deiss

Domaine Zind-Humbrecht

Domaine Josmeyer

Domaine Dirler-Cadé

Loire Valley, France 

Château de la Roche aux Moines

Provence, France

Château de Roquefort

Château Margüi

Château Léoube

Domaine les Fouques

Languedoc-Roussillon, France

Domaine d’Aupilhac

Domaine Cigalus

Domaine des Mathouans

Domaine Saint-Julien

Italy 

Azienda Agricola COS

Slovenia 

Movia Rebulla

Curious?

If you’re tasting biodynamic wines for the first time here are some recommendations from the experts to get you started. Both Daniela Paris and Adam Morganstern recommend Fleury Champagne. While Adam is a fan of Domaine Zind-Humbrecht for whites and M. Chapoutier for reds. Daniela suggests Domaine Vacheron Sauvignon Blanc and Rossignol-Trapet for Pinot Noir. Marco Amato adds that for an adventure in biodynamic wines, let your sommelier guide you through the perfect pairing. And that you can definitely age biodynamic wine.

Endnotes: It was most interesting how what began as a simple discussion of biodynamic wine almost always transcended into a discourse on humanity. How we are all connected. And how when we flow with nature’s cycles, it’s a delicious co-creative experience. So, drink up. And santé!

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Image of wine via Shutterstock and friends drinking wine via (C) Atout France/Joėl Damase

The post Here’s Why You Need to Go Biodynamic Wine Tasting in Europe appeared first on EcoSalon.

Be the host with the most eco savoir faire. Follow our lead and pair organic bubbly with born-again vessels for celebrating the spirit of reusing and recycling. Your green guests will drink to that! Of course, mine will drink to anything.

Cheers to Monaco Champagne Flutes made from the top halves of recycled glass wine bottles. In a stunning cobalt blue, they’re $53 from Green with Glamour. Pair with yummy Domaine Carneros Brut, organic since 2005. Although Brut refers to the dryness of the wine, Brut-style sparkling wine and champagne is also traditionally a blend of chardonnay and pinot noir.

Seeing the world through rosé colored glasses is possible when you pour the 100% biodynamically farmed Fleury Brut Rose, $49, into clear, elegant flutes. The wine is French but the pair of flutes was harvested at a local thrift shop and sandblasted with a koi design by Bread and Badger from Etsy.

Get a groove on with this swirled pair of Swirled Recycled Flutes, $59 from At West End. Fill ’em up for friends with the steal of the season, Makulu Moscato, grown with an emphasis on sustainability in the Paarl Ward region of Wellington at the foot of the Hawekwa mountain range in the Western Cape of South Africa. A great deal for $6 at Ingersoll.

Multi-Color Specks Champagne Flutes, set of six $65 from Bellacor, are made through NOVICA, in association with National Geographic, which gives artists and artisans around the world a global platform to express their true artistic talents. The blown glass, skillfully painted by Javier and Efren of Mexico, tickles the senses when  holding Blanquette de Limoux Brut, $20 from the Organic Wine Company, a dry, creamy, full-bodied sparkling wine from certified organic grapes.

Main Image: Cowbite

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As hungry workers nationwide kiss moral-boosting bonuses and office parties goodbye, at least one Minnesota employer is adding rather than subtracting a perk for his people: an organic vegetable garden for enjoying the fruits of their labor.

The Dude Ranch in Delano, Minn. (30 minutes outside downtown Minneapolis) is the brainchild of Fred and Sarah Haberman, Co-Founders of Haberman Public Relations. Based on a community-supported agriculture (CSA) model, the plot is a working garden that has replaced the water cooler as the employee gathering place. But instead of spreading gossip, salaried locavores are spreading seeds, hoeing, raking and fertilizing fresh tomatoes, onions, potatoes, peppers, peas, green beans, herbs, broccoli, cabbage and beets.

“At the end of the day, it’s an experiment but one that is reaping incredible rewards,” a passionate Haberman tells me. “People are coming out to the farm, relaxing, learning where their food comes from and what it looks like when it is in the earth.”

Among the staff nurturing greener pastures are urban apartment dwellers in downtown Minneapolis who have never done any gardening or spent time in the country. This includes public relations executives representing Haberman clients like Organic Valley, Annie’s Homegrown, Country Choice Organics, NCGA (National Coop Grocers Assoc), and the Organic Trade Association, to name a sustainable few.

“It’s our mission to tell the stories of food pioneers in the organic and sustainable agriculture realm and working the garden lets us learn as much as possible about what our clients go through as they grow food so we can walk our talk, so to speak,” says Haberman.

That talk naturally includes corporate speak, such as “team-building opportunities” and “economic incentives” which are motivators for Haberman in landing this back-to-nature account for his underlings.

In terms of the big picture, he’d  like to inspire other businesses to adopt his farm model and replace health care memberships and other perks with a field of dreamy crops. Hey, if the White House can do it, why not Pepsi?

“The idea of creating a movement, getting other companies to adopt this new employee benefit really excited me because so many good things happen,” he says. ” You create an opportunity for people to buy foods without pesticides; you get families meeting each other in a calm rural setting; and allow more conscious food choices.”

Haberman staffers, aided by a few experienced gardeners, will spend the summer and fall planting, tending and harvesting their own produce. Minneapolis is known for its big chills and strong weather patterns, and Haberman says he and the staff have been learning more about how that effects the crops as they play farmer on days off.

“The ground in the beginning of this year was so dry it was like concrete, three inches below the surface,” Haberman remembers. “Today it rained and all I could think was ‘thank God!’ You open your eyes and snap out of your urban bubble and understand what small farmers are going through. Their income is largely based upon the weather.”

But what if it turns out to be like Green Acres and the city folks decide to leave their concrete jungle for the rural paradise?

“I guess we’ll just have to change our business model,” jokes Haberman, who adds he many workers are now heading out to the garden without his directing the activities. “I put something in motion and it’s exciting as it takes hold.”

Meantime, the company is planning its first Dude Stock at the ranch this fall, a party to celebrate the harvest. Haberman put the concept on the web and the community is responding enthusiastically, including a chef from the organic restaurant, Corner Table, who has offered to come cook at the event.

“A lot of us are cooking what we are growing, but this guy is head and shoulders above the rest.”

Images: Haberman Modern Storytellers

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