Hi my name is constantine baum i’m a Master of wine and today i’m going back To the roots with another The wine experience video on a topic That i recently had a long and slightly Confusing conversation about The difference between organic Biodynamic and natural wine Ready set go [Music] So thank you for joining me today on This beautiful morning afternoon or Evening depending on when you’re Watching this video if you’re new to This channel then consider subscribing It’s free and it’s your opportunity to Learn more about wine If you’re a returning visitor then Welcome back so what is the point of Organic biodynamic and natural wines Every movement has its counter movement And the organic movement started at the Beginning of the 20th century as a Reaction to industrialization As the impact of large-scale production And urbanization became more and more Visible Some farmers and consumers started to Worry about the impact Of the industrialization of agriculture The use of synthesized fertilizers Invented by eustis von liebig in the 19th century and developed for mass Production in the 20th century and
Changed farming And some farmers worried about the Impact of those changes On the quality of the food and the Health of the environment The desire for more and cheaper food However was stronger and it therefore Took until the end of the 20th century For organic agriculture to arrive in the Mainstream but what is organic Viticulture and why would people want to Use it Organic viticulture is a great growing System that aims at reducing man-made Compounds Such as synthesized fertilizers Pesticides and fungicides As well as anything that has been Genetically modified Organic viticulture however still Requires some chemicals in the vineyards Such as copper and sulfur in order to Combat Powdery and downy mildew these Substances are contact or barrier sprays And unlike systemic sprays that could be Used in conventional viticulture Do not enter the vines sap or the Berries and are therefore less Likely to produce residues in the wine Organic viticulture focuses on Prevention rather than cure Through canopy management soil Management and smart viticulture
Cover crops are used for example in Order to increase biodiversity in the Vineyard improve the soil structure And improve the nutrient content of the Soil there are different levels of Certifications in europe for example There’s the Eu bio or organic label that is awarded To producers That follow their rules and regulations On top of that there are organizations That specify an organic Wine like for example ecover Traditionally these organizations Regulated the practices in the vineyard But today there are also some Restrictions In the winery in place for example the Maximum allowed level of so2 is quite a Bit lower For organic wine than it is for Conventional one i believe that organic Viticulture is a great step in the right Direction And when i look for wine i always look For quality but i also look at How the wineries philosophy aligns with My own and i therefore drink A lot of organic wine organic Viticulture can be Super easy in regions where it’s very Dry But it can also be very very difficult In regions where the weather conditions
Are less Favorable and we therefore have to Understand that on average Organic wine has to be more expensive Than conventional wine so let’s move on To biodynamic viticulture biodynamic Viticulture is an enhanced form of Organic viticulture Humans are the middlemen between the Cosmos and the earth If this sounds like a religious point of View then that is because it kind of is This philosophy is not based on science But on the anthroposophical teachings Of huda of steiner from the 1920s i Never quite understood how uudafgena Arrived at the concept that is today Called Biodynamic agriculture but his teachings Have survived the decades He also designed a new school system Created A new approach to medicine designed Buildings Role plays he was a true Anthroposophical renaissance man Biodynamic viticulture is still a Controversial topic today it’s difficult To explain how and why the practices Work But the converted wine makers are Showing some impressive results At the same time it’s still often Regarded as a marketing tool
Or lunacy quite literally but today There are more and more studies coming Out showing that biodynamically found Vineyards have a higher organic matter Content in the soil Stronger microbial activity as well as Stronger root growth of the plants In order to maintain the health of the Vines in the vineyards Biodynamic producers use preparations Like this one this is one silica Preparation 501 it consists of ground Quartz crystals and it’s supposed to Ripen the wood Encourage upright vine growth and Counteract fungi The substance is applied its doses as Small as 1 gram And 13 liters of water per acre looks Familiar Biodynamic compost also differs from Normal compost as it is first activated By preparations like chamomile Preparation 503 But biodynamic producers also have to Use copper and sulfur in the vineyard in Order to protect their vines From mildew i often really like ones That are made from biodynamic producers But i wouldn’t necessarily say That i would be able to identify Biodynamic wines consistently in a blind Tasting But they are often very fresh and
Vibrant olivier hombres of the maine Zintonbrecht once told me That he believes that those wines that Are made from biodynamic vineyards Are more fresh because the grapes take Longer to ripen And therefore maintain their acidity in A better way sometimes i wonder whether Biodynamics just work because it forces Producers to spend more time in the Vineyard and take care of the vines But i also believe that there is more in This world that what can be explained by Science today So i’m keeping an open mind so let’s Move on to the most controversial of the Three Natural wine controversial also because It’s quite difficult To define exactly what natural wine is Only very recently the french iano has Introduced certifications For the category va method nature One for wines with no sulphides added And one for once With less than 30 milligrams of sulfites Added still today one of the most common Definitions for natural wine Is the definition from raw the natural Wine fair and it goes Natural wine is farmed organically and Made without adding or removing Anything in the cellar this is not Really true because many natural wine
Producers Add a little bit of sulfur and remove Stuff from the wine By filtering it a little at least most Wineries that identify as natural Are small scale independent growers that Want to produce wine in close connection With nature They don’t care about conventions and They prefer physical rather than Chemical intervention in the winery the Movement started in france as a Counterpoint To over extracted industrially made wine And it has become Quite popular all around the world the Problem with natural wines is the Reduced level of so2 so2 protects the Wine from oxygen And microbial activity if you leave the So2 out or reduce it significantly It can mean that the wine reference in Bottle or oxidizes Super quickly i didn’t add any so2 to The wine that i made last year and it Shows in the wine even though it stayed In my cellar Ever since bottling my very personal Opinion on natural wines is that first Of all the term is actually misleading Wine is a cultural product and it Doesn’t become more natural just because You reduce The so2 level slightly and secondly i
Love natural wine as long as i don’t Smell and taste Right away that it is a natural wine Great natural wine Also shows its origin and the topicity Of the grape variety Just like this beautiful lambrusco that Was made without any added sulphites I think producers should generally use As few additives as possible but i do Not care whether a wine has 30 50 or 65 Milligrams per liter Of sulfites as long as it tastes good Sulfites are part of the wine because They are even formed by yeast During fermentation so there is no Sulfide free wine But certain wine styles wouldn’t be Possible or wouldn’t be stable at least Without the addition of sulfites just Like sweet wine for example if you have Problems with sulfites then definitely Try natural wines But also stay away from dried fruits and Processed meats for example because they Also contain Significant amounts of sulfites i Welcome all of the different approaches Discussed in this video because i think It’s very important that we protect our Environment but i think we shouldn’t be Too dogmatic about it Because there are some conventional Producers that make great wines and
Really respect nature as well i hope you Enjoyed this video if you liked it then Please like it down here subscribe to my Channel if you have done so already my Question of the day is What do you think about organic wine Biodynamic wine and natural one Let me know down below i hope i see you Guys again soon Until then stay thirsty