Biodynamic wines are gaining visibility—and popularity—in the wine world

Though they still make up only a small part of global wine production, there are more than 80 Demeter-certified biodynamic winegrowers in the United States, according to Demeter USA, the country’s first certifying body for chemical-free agriculture. There are nearly 500 such winegrowers in Europe, as well as nearly 200 more that are certified by the European biodynamic wine organizations Respekt Biodyn, which has 27 members, and Biodyvin, with 150. In Australia and South America, the movement is also starting to grow. In addition, there are many winemakers who practice biodynamics but choose not to get certified.

“More than ever, people are becoming aware that conventional agriculture is using things they don’t want in their beverages or on their table—like glyphosate,” says Rudy Marchesi, Demeter USA’s new board chairman and a partner at Montinore Estate in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. “So we’re seeing a real uptick in interest [in biodynamic wines] and we’re also seeing a greater awareness of how biodynamics impact the quality and expressiveness of wines.”

Most wine industry professionals are familiar with the basic tenets of biodynamics, including precepts like the prohibition against the use of pesticides and artificial herbicides in the vineyard. Growers must also generate as much fertility as possible on site (therefore, the presence of animals and the use of composting are crucial), and they must make use of nine biodynamic “preparations” to help promote soil and plant health. These preparations are made of such ingredients as cow manure, herbs, and chopped-up oak bark and are sprayed onto the vines and the compost pile.

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