New Biodynamic Regulations Coming

August. The plums should be out in Burgundy and the blueberries are on the hills in Walton and I did not pick them this year. There were no wild blueberry pies for me, from those bushes that are as squat and thick as bushels of hay. The size of the berry, from the tiniest of cultured pearls, to nice big fat south sea ones. For years, I climbed the hill, my own private Cote Rotie, scampered over the hot rocks, like slabs of chocolate and fed myself like a foraging deer and filled my basket for the pie with a cornmeal butter crust that was in the near future. Not this year. I am here. I will see the plums of Bouilland in a few weeks, but no blues, but still don�t weep for me, even though at this moment it does feel as if I the only one in town waiting for the phone to ring or for the comments to rush in. Deserted. Am I the only one left here to watch the thunder and lightning in NYC, today as dramatic as an El Greco sea? Or am I high on the histrionics today? Yes. It is possible. Just checking. What about this question: did you read Jim Fullmer, president of Demeter USA's comment on my previous post? I like talking to Jim. As a farmer, he is quite ardent about biodynamics and a little new to the concept of wine and I also think a little amused at my take on things. Never-the-less, in our correspondence he has told me that he hopes some changes are in effect for the harvest of 2008. I wonder if I hear the influence of Nicolas Joly who has a few tier step for his Return to Terroir Group? If it goes through Biodynamics will have something for everyone. 1) Biodynamic Grapes (not wine) 2) Biodynamic Wine (from 100% bioD grapes) and those will come in two sizes: 2a) The normal Biodynamic wine which means you can mess with the wine process some. 2b) Gold Standard Biodynamic---which is ultimately a 'natural' wine. Interesting, though I see no point in anything but the gold standard. But at least it's going to be there. Here' a little bit from Jim's own email. ++++In the wine section of the processing standard there are 2 labeling categories. In the "old" USA standard about to be revised ( December 2006) the categories were/ are "made with BD grapes" and "Biodynamic Wine" ( being the one w/ less modification allowed). In the revision it is looking like the "made with" terminology will be gone because it is to easily confused w/ the confusion that goes on in the "organic " world. It is likely that category will be "Biodynamic Wine" and the un- modified category " Biodynamic Gold Standard". The goal for the later is to have the Demeter logo for this category in gold and easily identified on the bottle. I admit that this is a needed improvement in labeling so folks can easily identify it on the store shelf. Both categories mean 100% Biodynamic grapes , always have always will. Again getting rid of the "made with" so as to not get stuck in the vortex of the organic mess, 70% what have you.... Demeter does allow sulfite in both categories. There are some we work with that do not add sulfites and they are pretty clear about it in their labeling. So those looking for that can also go for that.+++