Change in Demeter US, biodynamic standards

 Demeter dumbs down?

 

Just in. A change to the standards for biodynamic grapes was passed overwhelmingly in time for the 2011 vintage.

I checked in with the head of Demeter, Jim Fullmer who confirmed and wrote to me, "The Standard for Biodynamic Wine remains primarily as it has been for
years-focus is on no manipulations- what was changed is the Standard for
Made With BD Grape wines. It was moved to be in line with the NOP organic
regulation ( you would call "conventional" I assume) but with the
requirement that wines labeled as being made from BD grapes be 100% BD
grapes.

The result? A wine labeled made with biodynamic grapes must have 100% biodynamic fruit, and yes, you can throw the book at it in the winery. (The only difference is wine with organic grapes only need 70% of organic fruit, with BD, it is 100%).

Prior to this vintage, one could not use aromatic yeasts nor inoculate for ML for this category of wine. Additions were sort of limited. Fullmer was very proud of it. He's been struck down. Being a gent, he won't dish out on his members.

Ridgely Evers, who farms olives and grapes under the name of Davero in Sonoma is, on the other hand, very happy about it. He explained his feelings this way. (disclosure, Ridge played a supporting role in my new book.) 

This is, in my view, a _huge_ win for farmers, because there were only 12 wineries last year that released either "Made with BD Grapes" or "BD Wine" wines.  In other words, there was no market for BD fruit, so no one grew BD grapes besides wineries.  Without that, there's no hope for critical mass to build a foundation of interest in and knowledge of the value of Biodynamic, period.  

It's also a big win for consumers, because it allows more winemakers to begin to embrace the power of BD; heretofore they could not because it was too risky to try to produce a BD wine, and the "Made from BD Grapes" standard was too close to the full BD standard to be worth the economic risk.

If we're going to heal the planet, the farmers have to be deeply involved.  And sustainable farming starts, inviolably, with sustaining the economic unit that is the farmer.

                                            +

 So, why do I care? Now that one doesn't have to use less intervention in the winery under this category, I can envision large scale BD growing will be encouraged. Higher prices per tonnage, I suppose. When it comes down to it, I have a hard time with the separation of grapes and domaine, that reigns in the New World. There's just not enough real and true vigneron to balance out the large scale agriculture. 

I'm not worried about the run on nettle,  but industrial companies growing BD  and using the treatments, will ( I imagine) be spendthrift with their use of copper, for example. There might be a run on cow horns (note: this is a joke).

But additionally,  what has attracted me to the use of BD is the emotional connection to the earth and environment. In large scale farming, BD becomes a job like any other. I really don't see the industrial BD farmer will take the care of, let's say, Ducroux, to do the best he can. To look for an ox instead of a horse. To go almost a decade without any copper use. No, when you're just reading the rule book, the rules are followed and the spirit is lost. Thirdly, the consumer will expect a natural wine and be duped into thinking their conventional wine is natural. 

People who know how to taste the difference, won't be tricked. But many people in this country who rely on certification to tell them what their taste buds cannot.

I suppose if I was a real biodynamist and looked to save the planet, I would agree with Ridgely. But  I'm I do find myself on the side with Tony Coturri, who put it this way. 

"It's  like making Wonder Bread out of organic/biodynamic wheat."

Comments

[LCFwino]

"heal the Planet"? Good luck with that. Shows a lot of arrogance there.

BD, as an organized entity, is over. Finished. Done.

[Brian O'Donnell]

actually, I think this is a huge step in the right direction...imposing processing standards to be able to acknowledge responsible farming practices is stupid and only adds to consumer confusion...

I consider it "a step" because imho the whole 2-tier thing for BD wine is stupid ("borrowed" from the equally stupid organic model)... someone can correct me if I'm wrong, but my understanding is that in Europe there is one (Demeter) standard for BD wine which includes of course the farming but also "common sense" processing guidelines that are driven by the pursuit of quality & typicity vs dogma & sulfite paranoia

[Georgios Hadjistylianou]

Masanobu Fukuoka will be turning in his grave after all this........

The US are once more moving into helping the big guys rather than attempting to protect the rest.

MY QUESTION TO JIM FULMER IS
WHO'S BEHIND ALL THIS JIM, AND FOR HOW LONG?

This are very sad news. BD is obviusly not for every one, and who's attempting to folow it either does it 100% or stay at home playing with their kids. That's why the first step is PRACTICING BD and if you can handdle it then you move to the next step. This is a long process that takes time to understand the earth and your lands ways.

As Alice said, is THE emotional connection to the earth and environment, and the observation of the earth and your land that guides you to act accordingly, obviusly in big scales there is not going to be such a maticulous observations.

In large scale farming, BD will become one of the same

I trully hope the original bio producers, the men & women who believe in all these should be withdrawn from demeter and want nothing to do with that org.

[Brigitte Armenier]

OK, let's try to bring a bit of meaning here or we will end up with what Jonathan Franzen describes as the vacuity of a certain type of American thinking :)

1) "The Standard for Biodynamic Wine remains primarily as it has been for years --focus is on no manipulations--" Excellent, let's already acknowledge the fact that Demeter US 'Biodynamic Wine' is and remains for the consumer of American wines the ONLY official assurance of a 'true' product, made without chemicals in the vineyard nor manipulations in the cellar. Not mentioning all the products that avoid any type of certification, Demeter US 'Biodynamic Wine' thus is and remains the only certification which allows the consumer to choose with true freedom.

2) "…what was changed is the Standard for Wine made with BD grapes."
First of all, what has not changed here is the requirement that, with 100% BD grapes, the vineyards must be farmed according to the Biodynamic principles and regulations. Therefore Alice, why should you be worried about the use of copper?? As for your concern about some "damaging run on cow horns': don't you already know that the few hundred ones needed for the country are simply found in the "by-products" of the about 40 million cows slaughtered every year in the U.S.? Furthermore, biodynamists use them for several years. As for the bovine mesentery of the BD preparation #506, one is enough for 45,000 tons of compost on 15,000 acres. For the BD preparation #503, one cow's intestine is enough for 72,000 tons or more of compost on about 25,000 acres… shall we call this an excess of supply over demand? Now, "to look for an ox instead of a horse" has nothing to do with Biodynamics. Again and again and notwithstanding the size of the vineyard and/or company, what stands at the heart of Biodynamics is the banning of chemicals for a work with the BD preparations!

Finally, let's examine the change which affects this particular category of certification, and which only concerns part of the practices allowed in the cellar. The fact is that, whatever opinions you or I may have on the subject, the US Demeter Board didn't ask us for advice. And that is exactly where the shoe pinches!

One can't isolate Biodynamics from the social vision developed by Rudolf Steiner: fraternity in the economic activity, equality in the political sphere, and freedom in the cultural life. This is for instance where the Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) finds its roots. In our case, the equality before the regulations --and in their creation-- rests with Demeter. And while the wineries are economic in essence, you and I and consumers are all members of the civil society. From there on, it is easy to see that no consideration was given here to the creative imagination of the cultural power. With much logic, what we are then presented with is instead some sort of Trojan Horse born out of the usual egoism and fears of a too predominant economic activity… nothing new, just America struggling against its demons!

[Joel Brut]

What is meant by the term "aromatic yeasts?" I first read this term in this context in Darlington's book in the part about bio d in a interview with Joly. All yeast strains produce aromas. Is it a yeast strain with beta glucosidase side activities? A lot of yeasts (Klockera, Hansenula) that operate in a native fermentation produce this enzyme. It is a confusing term for sure. I imagine they use this term to cover their asses if they have to restart a stuck native fermentation. They can then say they did not use an "aromatic yeast." it's a dumb term.

[Alicefeiring]

All selected yeast strains promote aromas that might not be there with feral ones. But some are promoted by their ability to influence aromas. So, other than the basic, Red Star white and red, they are all considered aromatic. But yes, it is a cop out. For sure. Agreed.

[Winecountrygeo]

Sorry - I don't get why you say only 70% of grapes have to be organic? What is the context?

There are no less than 6 different classifications of organically grown wine in the U.S. which makes life very confusing. But to be labeled "made with organic grapes" the wine must contain 100% organic grapes. Reasonable people would like to see the USDA simplify this to be in accordance with the much simpler standards abroad.

Here's the CCOF link (which I sent you earlier in an email) on labeling.
http://www.ccof.org/pdf/factsheets/2011_Wine_Labeling.pdf

[Winecountrygeo]

Personally, I think you are overstating the issue - please pay careful attention to the labeling classifications. I don't see any harm in saying "made with BD grapes" meaning that the fruit is BD farmed and BD wine being a certified process. This parallels organic certification to some extent - but it's not an exact parallel. In CCOF labeling, "Made with Organic Grapes" means the wine is made in a certified organic facility whereas in BD land, "made with BD grapes" does not mean a certified facility is required - that is the "BD Wine" classification. Pity the poor consumer.

The biggest issue I see with BD/Demeter is the number of wineries who make biodynamic claims without getting certified (Demetria, Quintessa, others)...this is troubling.

[Alicefeiring]

There is no harm. Who said harm? But it is a watering down of a standard that had been in place to make way for more commercial endeavors. However, there is still a step above the organic regulation as the grapes must be 100%. Products made entirely with certified organic ingredients and methods can be labeled "100% organic". Products with at least 95% organic ingredients can use the word "organic". Made with organic grapes, at least 70%.