4. Biodynamic Viticulture in
the United States
v The term biodynamic stems from two Greek roots:
v Bios, meaning life
and
v Dynamis, meaning energy.
v Biodynamic farming focuses on the natural energies,
entities, and organisms that are vital in the
preservation of life.
5. Biodynamic Viticulture in
the United States
v Rudolf Steiner’s introduced biodynamic farming in the
early 1920’s.
v Since there are over 4,200 biodynamic farms
worldwide.
v In the United States there is only one certification
association, Demeter U.S.A. Association.
v There are 68 Demeter certified wine and vineyard
producers in the United States today.
6. Biodynamic Viticulture in
the United States
v Steiner established nine cardinal biodynamic
preparations to maximize soil vitality and fuel plant
growth.
v These materials are usually fermented and applied to
soil or directly to the plant as a fertilizer and are
labeled by Steiner as 500-508.
v 500 is a dung horn, made from fermented bovine
manure.
v 501 is a silica horn, made from powdered quartz.
7. Biodynamic Viticulture in
the United States
v 502-507 are used in the creation of compost with the
following plant extracts: Yarrow, Chamomile, Stinging
Nettle, Oak Bark, Dandelion, and Valerian Flowers.
v 508 is the preparation of an anti-fungal plant spray
made of the horsetail plant.
v In addition, planting and harvesting crops is based on
lunar patterns.
v Just as the phases of the moon guide and direct the
tides of the ocean, it is believed that they also control
the sap flow within plants.
8. Biodynamic Viticulture in
the United States
v The biodynamic certification process requires multiple
steps.
v Usually, starting with an organic certification.
v Followed with an application to Demeter USA.
v And then annual inspections by Demeter.
v While many farms in the U.S. practice biodynamic
agriculture not all become certified.
9. Biodynamic Viticulture in
the United States
v The most predominant biodynamic crop are wine
grapes.
v Over 20% of all certified biodynamic acreage is
comprised of wine grape vineyards
v 29 of the 62 U.S. Demeter-Certified biodynamic farms
are located in California.
v Wines produced as a result of these biodynamic
grapes can be certified as one of the two following
labeling alternatives:
v “Biodynamic Wine” or
v “Wine Made from Biodynamic Grapes.”
10. Biodynamic Viticulture in
the United States
v Biodynamic Wine standards are very rigid and forbid
the addition of tannins or any flavoring from oak
chips as well as prohibiting the modification of yeast
enzymes, acidity, or sugar alteration.
v Wine Made from Biodynamic Grapes is a bit more
flexible; the winemaker can make adjustments to the
wine using non-synthetic and/or non-genetically
engineered substances.
11. Millennial Wine Drinkers
Magali (2008) addressed wine consumer’s familiarity of
organic and biodynamic wines.
v Of the 400 California residents that responded to the
survey:
v 66% of the stated that they were familiar with
“organic wine”
v 39% had actually tasted organic wine
12. Millennial Wine Drinkers
v 19% were familiar with the difference between organic
wine and organically grown grapes.
v 17% of survey respondents were familiar with “wine
from biodynamic grown grapes”,
v But only 8% had tasted biodynamic wine.
v A majority (76%) of the respondents that claimed they
were familiar with organic wine had never even heard
of biodynamic wine
14. Survey Design
v All 68 Demeter certified biodynamic producers were
contacted over the phone and subsequently emailed a
survey using Surveymonkey.com.
There were two main objectives of the producer survey:
1. To help obtain knowledge of biodynamic wine making
practices and growing procedures.
2. To help understand the rational behind this choice of
production practice.
15. Survey Design
Survey questions included:
v Number of cases of biodynamic wine produced,
v When vineyard and biodynamic operations started,
v How many acres of traditional, organic, and
biodynamic vines are maintained,
v The reasoning behind their choice to change their
past/current wine practices to biodynamic farming
procedures.
16. Survey Design
v Millennial consumers were also surveyed in an effort
to gain an understanding of their purchasing power
and purchasing trends, as well as their general
knowledge and perceptions of biodynamic wines.
v A Facebook event in which consumers of legal
drinking age were given the ability to quickly and
easily complete the survey from the comfort of their
own computer.
17. Survey Design
Survey questions explained:
v Consumers’ demographics,
v Their average amount/price of wine they buy,
v Where they tend to purchase their wine,
v Their familiarity with organic and biodynamic wine,
v How likely they were to purchase organic or
biodynamic wine over traditional wine.
19. Consumer Demographic
Results
Of the 308 survey respondents:
v A slight majority were between the ages of 21 and 25
years old, 60%.
v The bulk of survey takers were female, 61.6%.
v Claimed single as their marital status.
v Employed part-time and
v Earned an annual salary of less than $20,000.
i.e., college students
20. Consumer Purchasing
Results
v When asked how many
Bottles Purchased in a Month
bottles of wine the
survey takers purchase
on a monthly basis the
answers widely varied
from 0 up to 35 bottles.
v A majority of the
respondents say that on
average they tend to
purchase wines that
range between $10.00
and $14.99.
Min
Max
35
Average
5.013
Median
35%
30%
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
0
4
21. Consumer Purchasing
Results
Purchase Avenue
Information Source
Other
Other
Wine bar
Radio
Internet
Google
Facebook
Wine Club
Friends and Family
Restaurant by the glass
Direct from winery
Wine Spectator Magazine
Bars/restaurants
Winery events
Wine tasting dinners
Wine Shops
Winery tasting rooms
Sommelier
Liquor Store
Server
Restaurant by the bottle
Supermarket
Bar
0
50
100
150
Respondents
200
250
300
0
50
100
150
Respondents
200
250
22. Consumer Organic
Awareness
Sustainable Practices
Familiar with Organic Wine
140
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
Not at all
familiar
22%
Not very
familiar
34%
Extremely
important
Very
important
Somewhat
important
Not very
important
Very familiar
10%
Somewhat
familiar
29%
Not at all
important
Organic Wine Experience
Somewhat
Positive
62%
Extremely
familiar
5%
Not very
positive
11%
Not at all
positive
3%
Very
Positive
24%
Likelihood of Organic Purchase
Not very
likely
39%
Not at all
likely
9%
Extremely
likely
3%
Somewhat
likely
40%
Very likely
9%
23. Consumer Biodynamic
Awareness
Tasted Biodynamic Wine
Biodynamic Familiarity
Not at all familiar
300
Not very familiar
200
Somewhat familiar
100
Very familiar
0
Extremely familiar
0
20
40
60
80
Yes
100 120 140 160 180
No
Respondents
Biodynamic Tasting Experience:
Total 48
Not very
positive
11%
Somewhat
positive
60%
Not at all
positive
6%
Very positive
23%
Likelihood of Future Biodynamic
Purchase
160
140
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
Extremely
likely
Very likely
Somewhat
likely
Not very
likely
Not at all
likely
25. Producer Survey Results
Where is your operation located?
CA
OR
NY
IL
WA
13
4
1
1
1
Start of Operation
Start of Biodynamic Practice
6
9
8
5
7
4
6
5
3
4
2
3
2
1
1
0
0
< 1970
1971-1980
1981-1990
Year
1991-2000
2001-2010
1998-1999 2000-2001 2002-2003 2004-2005 2006-2007 2008-2009
26. v 7 producers manage
20-50 acres
v 4 own 50-150 acres of
grapes.
v 2 producers that
reported having over
200 acres.
Total Organic Acreage
1-19 acres of grapes,
Total Acreage
v 5 producers maintain
Total Biodynamic
Acreage
Producer Survey Results
0
500
1000
Acreage
1500
2000
27. Producer Survey Results
When asked whether they carried out biodynamic
procedures in the vineyard, winery, or both:
v 35% of the producers solely followed these practices in
the vineyard.
v 65%, performed biodynamic procedures in the vineyard
and throughout their winemaking process.
v Of the 10% of producers that also sold their grapes as
well as used them for biodynamic wine production, the
amount of grapes sold averaged about 3%
29. Producer Survey Results
v The success of biodynamic wine is heavily dependent on
the perceptions and awareness of wine consumers. Of the
20 respondents, 55% confirmed that they did not believe
that consumers were aware of biodynamic wines and
practices.
One producer’s responded,
“There are more [consumers] that have heard of the idea of
biodynamic, yet very few who understand the practice. I would
say there are many [producers] who practice biodynamic, yet do
not fully understand the practice, therefore, do not have the
ability to explain it to others. This is one of the great challenges
of biodynamic agriculture, to protect itself and market itself
effectively at the same time.”
30. Producer Survey Results
What are the reasons you decided to follow biodynamic practices?
Stewardship + Admiration of other BD Growers around the world
increase the quality of grapes and wines we tried it out side by side with conventional practices and the choice was obvious
too numerous to mention but Wine quality
Organic farming alone was not enough. we needed the preps and compost to heal our vineyards
Health of the plant
It makes sense
It is a complete system of understanding and using all life forces. We practiced organic for 20 years and felt Biodynamic was
the next step, offering a more comprehensive managment and development of our farming operation as well as our personal
growth.
we need to raise the quality of our farming practices
wanted to "raise the bar" on our vineyard to produce the best quality grapes that we could do. our vineyard consultant recommended us
going biodynamic
the practices filled in the cracks for disease control on the vines where organics was giving me incomplete answers. Biodynamics also
concentrates on soil building techniques and returning your farm to a more natural ecosystem through wildlife habitat, beneficial insect
habitat, reducing off-farm inputs and biodiversity of flora.
For the health of the vineyards and the people who work in them. To be better stewards of the land God gave us.
We actually farmed another vineyard (130 acres of vines) that we sold this year biodynamically for 7 years. We had remarkable success
with the farming technique and want to continue with our new project in San Juan Bautista.
As a matter of responsibility to our site, the health and vitality of our soils, and to the earth at large. It just so happens, that in
appropriately skilled hands, Biodynamic produce, winegrapes in our particular case, has amazing potential to make vastly superior
products.
connection to the earth and the rest of the cosmos
Pure expression of wine, better agriculture, long-term dedication to the land.
Better for the environment, our workers and our consumers. Also better quality.
1- Grow healthy fruit, more natural 2- Be different 3- Push the envellop in sustainability practices
wanted healthier vines and a "cleaner" farming practice
Better wine, better for the land, environmental concerns
31. Producer Survey Results
How would you characterize the difference between a biodynamic wine and a conventional wine?
(alcohol content, aroma, etc.)
I Wouldn't!
There is no such thing as Biodynamic Wine. Biodynamic is a practice and philosophy for agriculture not winemaking. Our grapes are of
greater quality, phenolics in better balance, ripeness is increased (not alcohol but phenolics), better quality in tannins, better nutrient
levels and therefore fermentations, better clarity of fruit expression. All of these things increase the quality of the wine. The wines are
made within the standards of wine produced from biodynamic grapes, not biodynamic wine, according to Demeter.
again I think to difficult to mention in a sound bite but authentic is a good word
biodynamic wine allows for the wine to be more itself... we find the grapes come in healthier so there is less manipulation
then in conventional wine
Sense of place ,purity in the wine
True to the Earth, balanced.
Biodynamic wine is vibrant and generally more complex than a conventional wine made in the Midwest. We carry the philosophy of
gentle handling and minimal manipulatio into the winery and we believe that makes a difference. We also use evaporated cane juice
rather than refined sugar to sweeten our fruit wines. This creates a softer wine.
i don't think i can tell the difference between the two except if the conventional wine has been made using lots of chemicals beside
sulfites.
biodynamic wine: increased aromas and mouthfeel. Purity of flavor. More concentration of fruit characteristics. Life force is
in the wine.
Biodynamic wine better reflects the charcteristics of the terrior of the site producing the grapes
A biodynamic wine is balanced, complex, soulful. I find that I am more energized after drinking a biodynamic wine over the headache
and tired feeling from a conventional wine.
...its just that no matter how much I'd like to say that BD wines will always make more balanced, nuanced, fresh, energetic, terroirdriven wines, the bottom line is that BD wines only have the POTENTIAL to do so, and outside of practices like those detailed w/in
biodynamics, it is very difficult for fruit to actually express the aforementioned ideas.
More supple, more subtle with a finer integration of flavors.
balance is the key, in all aspects of flavor, aroma, chemical analysis etc..
Too hard to tell.
Organileptically no diffirence Philosophically much difference
more complex and lively on the palate. better balance of components
Biodynamic wines have more complexity, especially since we do not fine or filter our wines. Conventional wines can be full of chemicals
so it feels better to drink bio wines!
33. General Insights
v Wine consumers lack a knowledge of biodynamic
practices and procedures within the wine industry.
v Many consumers that were surveyed demonstrated an
awareness and comprehension of organic and
sustainable wines, but were confused by the term
“biodynamic”.
v Several consumers expressed some importance to
them of purchasing sustainable wines, while the
majority of consumers did not demonstrate any
significant interest in purchasing biodynamic wines.
34. General Insights
v As long as biodynamic farming remains an unknown
technique to the public, many consumers will refrain
from purchasing wines that are produced in that
manner.
v The term “biodynamic” must become familiar
terminology amongst wine consumers before
producers can expect an increase in purchasing trends.
v The millennial generation could potentially be targeted
as new customers to the growing industry and
biodynamic viticulturists producing biodynamic
grapes and wine.
35. General Insights
v However, there is a gap between consumer purchasing
habits and producer advertising/selling.
v While 16 producers indicated off-premise sales only 6
sell in grocery stores; the number 1 place for
millennial purchases.
v In addition, only 3 of the 6 that sell in grocery stores
advertise there as well.
v This is in lieu of over 3,400 bonded wineries in
California alone.
36. General Insights
v It is still yet unknown whether biodynamic viticulture
and enology can be successful economically.
v While it may have a positive impact on the farm as a
whole, if economically unviable it is not sustainable.
v As millennial consumers search for the next new
thing, it is up to the biodynamic producer to reach
them through tastings, word-of-mouth, social
networking, and all the other millennial targeted
marketing techniques.
