Latest news with #winemaking
Forbes
a day ago
- Business
- Forbes
How Do You Make Biodynamic Wines? And Why Are They Special?
Clay Wesson of Montinore Estate and Hijinio Mejia Rodrigues preparing manure for cow horn burial, an essential biodynamic process. Montinore Estate Winemaking that adheres to biodynamic principles makes an already difficult, physical and time-consuming process monumentally more challenging. Biodynamic winemaking is a level (or three) beyond organic that relies on everything from applying all-natural compost teas to vines for pest prevention to following the lunar calendar for planting decisions. Clay Wesson, head of viticulture at Montinore Estate, one of the largest biodynamic producers in the country, explains, 'One of the bigger challenges, depending on your scale of farming, is timing of competing tasks that need to be done as well as logistics to pull off all the tasks.' That's a bit of an understatement. Just consider the 'task' list, which includes everything from packing fresh lactating cow manure into cow horns and burying them in the soil for use the following spring to incorporating cover crops and animal husbandry into the viticultural ecosystem. 'There are no shortcuts or quick fixes in biodynamics,' says Mini Byers co-owner of Cowhorn Vineyard & Garden in Applegate Valley Oregon, 'When something goes wrong in the vineyard, we can't just spray a solution and move on. We have to pause, observe, and get to the root of the issue—naturally. That might mean introducing a cover crop, adjusting our compost, or working with a biodynamic preparation.' One thing you can be sure of regarding biodynamic wine—it's as all-natural as you can get. Many argue that it also impacts taste, giving wines more complexity and vitality. For a bit more depth on the work that goes into this viticultural practice I quizzed Mini and Clay about the challenges and the benefits. Rudy Marchesi unpacking compost in spring after burial at Montinore Estate й Andrea Johnson Photography Clay Wesson: One of the bigger challenges, depending on your scale of farming, is timing of competing tasks that need to be done as well as logistics to pull off all the tasks. With more intentionality focused in the vineyard, labor and economics need to be balanced as well with the focus remaining on quality. Mini Byers: One of the biggest challenges is also one of the biggest gifts: time. Biodynamic farming is both time-consuming and, at times, a little nerve-racking. It asks us to be incredibly present—watching, listening, responding—with no shortcuts or quick fixes. When something goes wrong in the vineyard, we can't just spray a solution and move on. We have to pause, observe, and get to the root of the issue—naturally. That might mean introducing a cover crop, adjusting our compost, or working with a biodynamic preparation. It requires trust, intuition, and a lot of patience. But the reward is a vineyard that's healthy, expressive, and alive. Clay: The cow horns are a very important part of Biodynamic Farming in that they are utilized to create two important spray preparations: Biodynamic 500 and Biodynamic 501. The 500 is applied to the soil as a stimulative force in the spring in the fall and the Biodynamic 501 is applied in the spring and summer to the vine and air surrounding it to stimulate vital forces in the vine as well as enhance ripening and flavor of the grape. Mini: One of the most important practices we follow is the creation of BD500. Each fall, we pack fresh lactating cow manure into cow horns and bury them in the soil through the winter, during a time when the earth is 'inhaling' and drawing energy inward. In early spring, we unearth the horns and discover a rich, humus-like compost that's full of microbial life. We then stir it into water in a vortex and apply it to our soil, enhancing root growth, increasing microbial activity, and helping our vines access nutrients in a more natural, balanced way. The cow horn itself is more than a container—it concentrates natural forces and transforms the material inside. Just above the spot where we bury our horns, we built a spiral rock formation, a quiet marker of this sacred, cyclical process. It's why one of our signature wines is called Spiral. Horns and wine at Montinore Estate Montinore Estate Are you able to discern a difference in taste (biodynamic vs. conventional farming of grapes)? Mini: We believe you can—though it's not always about what you taste, but how the wine feels. Biodynamically farmed wines tend to carry a certain clarity and energy. They feel more alive in the glass, more rooted in place. You can sense the vitality of the soil and the health of the vineyard in the depth, structure, and texture of the wine. In our Syrah, for example, there's a groundedness, a vibrancy that we believe comes directly from the way we farm—not forcing, but listening. Clay: I do feel that you can taste a difference at times in the grape as well as wine yet it is important to not allow a personal bias to come in to be objective. I have definitely tasted more interesting wines that are organic and biodynamic wines that I certainly attributed the quality to their practices in the vineyard and cellar. A good friend and consultant friend of mine, Adriano Zago in Italy, has set up blind tasting with not just wine but also other produce grown under different circumstances and points to noticeable differences. It is hard not to be biased to the clean farming practices and attention to detail by the farmers and winemakers to make biodynamic wine so that helps add to the perception and storytelling ability How is it different than organic wine viticulture? Clay: Biodynamic Farming practices build on good farming in general and you have to be 100% organic prior to pursuing Biodynamic Certification. The standards for biodynamics are placed on top of the already rigorous NOP USDA guidelines. That said a big difference is the dedication of 10% of the land you steward to Biodiversity, reducing or eliminating your inputs from "off your farm" in regards to fertility and crop protection, not allowing parallel production (meaning your entire land must be certified, not individual fields/blocks, incorporation of livestock and animal husbandry into your farm. Mini: Organic and biodynamic farming share a lot in common—both avoid synthetic pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers. But biodynamics goes a step further. It views the farm as a whole living organism, where everything—soil, plants, animals, people, and even cosmic rhythms—are interconnected. Where organics focuses on what not to use, biodynamics focuses on how to nurture. That means we don't just remove the harmful—we actively bring life back into the system using compost preparations, intentional timing, and holistic practices. It's farming that relies as much on intuition as it does on science. And for us at Cowhorn, it's the only way that makes sense—because when the land thrives, the wines do too. Best Biodynamic Wines To Try Now Montinore Reserve Pinot Noir, 2023: Elegant and silky with polished notes of raspberry and black cherry. The wine has a generous mouthfeel but a lovely savory edge. Focused and complex it's perfect now or with a few years on it. it's also a fabulous deal for Willamette Valley pinot at $45. Cowhorn GSM 2021: Generous and fresh on the palate with juicy red fruit notes—just absolutely delicious. 49% Syrah / 36% Grenache / 15% Mourvèdre. $45 Johan Vineyards Murmuration, 2021: Lower in alcohol and made biodynamically, this juicy, fruity blend of Cabernet Franc, Zweigelt, Blaufrankisch and St. Laurent delivers on flavor despite its lightweight profile. Playful and complex, just a lovely wine to enjoy with friends. $30 Cowhorn Syrah, 2021: This is not your Australian version of syrah, but rather a more elegant, delicate expression of the grape that is more pinot noir-like. Dark raspberry, cherry-strawberry notes mingle with a hint of spice and currant. $55 Folly of Man Estate Pinot Noir 2023: One of the debut wine offerings from winemakers Tracy and Aaron Kendall who are alums of venerated wineries Nicolas-Jay and Beaux Frères Vineyards & Winery. Working with estate vineyard fruit from a compelling site that sits in the midst of the Van Duzer Corridor, the couple makes four wines from their 16-acre site. This one shines with bright- high-toned fruit and structured layers of spice and dried herbs. The vines farmed using regenerative, organic, and biodynamic practices. $100
ABC News
5 days ago
- Business
- ABC News
Sunraysia wine grape grower's chemical-free approach a point of difference in tight market
A Victorian winemaker has eliminated chemicals from his grape production in a bid to stand out as global consumption continues to decline. But environmental sustainability can be challenging in the vineyard, especially when it comes to tackling plant diseases that can devastate a vintage. Sunraysia producer Justin Kassulke grows grapes that are resistant to downy and powdery mildew, which eliminates the need for chemical sprays. He first had a taste of wine made with disease-resistant grapes eight years ago at an event hosted by the CSIRO and Wine Australia. "Some of the wines, to be honest, weren't great, but some were fantastic," Mr Kassulke said. The CSIRO estimates that powdery and downy mildew costs the Australian wine grape industry $140 million per year. The diseases, which reduce yield and wine quality, thrive in warm, wet conditions and are largely controlled with synthetic chemical fungicide sprays. CSIRO scientists developed the disease-resistant grapes to help the industry reduce its significant fungicide use. Mr Kassulke was glad he made the decision to try them. "It is hard to quantify how much of a saving it is for us … we could potentially cut down on equipment and staff," he said. Mr Kassulke's grapes are turned into wine near Mildura by the Monak Wine Co. "Globally, people are … looking for a story behind the product and they're looking to expand their horizons in the wine market," owner Cindy Healy said. Ms Healy said wine made from disease-resistant grapes had been well-received in Australia and overseas. "They're easy to be certified sustainable because no synthetic sprays are required in the vineyard," she said. "I feel like these are real game changers for the industry as a whole. The mildew-resistant grapes were developed through years of selective breeding by CSIRO researchers with funding from Wine Australia. Wine Australia general manager of research and innovation Paul Smith said the resistant grapes have had "great success … in terms of the performance criteria of having really sustainable performance in the vineyard". He also described the flavour profiles as "excellent". Dr Smith said it could take years to realise the benefits of research and development projects. "[Disease resistance] was a really key trait to focus on early, but we have a lot of other traits as well that we would like to be able to build into grapevines," he said. "There is parallel work happening around traits like resistance to salinity, surviving in higher temperatures or arid conditions.
Forbes
5 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
The Other Georgia: 4 Things I Want You To Know About My Homeland
Georgia's economy is diversifying. Tourism is booming. Winemakers are exporting globally. Tech, logistics, and education are expanding. And young people are stepping into leadership roles that would have seemed impossible a generation ago. When I tell people I'm from Georgia, they might picture peaches and southern charm. But that's not my Georgia. As CFO of CBS Group, a holding company working across various industries to help build a stronger, more modern society in my homeland, I represent Georgia worldwide—in boardrooms, conferences, and global summits. Yet I often find myself explaining the most basic facts about my origins. So today, I want to share four things I wish everyone knew about the Georgia I call home. Nearly 6,300 miles east of the U.S., the country of Georgia sits at the intersection of Europe and Asia, covering an area slightly smaller than South Carolina, with a population of 3.7 million people. It's a land of dramatic mountains, seaside resorts, and cities that have stood for thousands of years. Because we're located on the Silk Road—the ancient trade route that linked China to the Mediterranean—Georgia emerged as a crossroads of commerce and culture before Western civilization even existed. People from across the globe passed through, leaving a profound, multicultural legacy you can see in our food, language, and architecture. Georgia is a truly ancient society. We're one of the oldest wine-producing nations in the world, with a tradition dating back over 8,000 years. Over the centuries, we've seen kingdoms rise and fall, survived invasions, and been shaped by Persian, Ottoman, Russian, and European influences. And through it all, we've kept our language and our identity. For most of the 20th century, we were part of the Soviet Union, which initially brought industrial development, education, and economic growth. But it also brought totalitarianism and a loss of freedom, so in the late 1980s, when inflation soared and shelves emptied, nationalism swept through our part of the world, and the USSR started to unravel. Things came to a head in Georgia on April 9, 1989, when Soviet troops attacked a peaceful protest in Tbilisi and killed 21 people, mostly young, mostly women. That day galvanized the nation and marked the dawn of a new Georgia. Two years later, we declared our independence, becoming the first non-Baltic republic to leave the USSR. So in a way, my very ancient country is two years younger than I am. When a government falls, it takes essential things down with it—institutions like banks, courts, utilities, and more that people rely on to live their lives. When the Soviet Union fell, Georgia lost all of those systems. Our economy collapsed overnight. Wages bottomed out while prices skyrocketed. People were given coupons that they traded for basic food like bread and milk, often standing in line all day to get it. Georgia fell into chaos. Civil war broke out. Armed gangs roamed the streets. Many people, especially educated people, left the country in search of stability. But my parents, both doctors, stayed behind. I remember candles during power outages, food shortages, and the fear of never knowing what might happen next. But they both believed in the future of Georgia, and today, I'm proud to carry that belief too. The Georgia I help lead today is not the Georgia I grew up in. We've come through war, economic collapse, and political upheaval, and emerged with a renewed sense of purpose. Our economy is diversifying. Tourism is booming. Our winemakers are exporting globally. Tech, logistics, and education are expanding. And young people are stepping into leadership roles that would have seemed impossible a generation ago. Yes, we are still pulled between East and West—between two different ideas of governance and power. That tension is real, but so is our determination. Regardless of politics, most Georgians want a country that offers fairness, opportunity, and freedom for all. I travel the world for work, but my heart is always here. I am part of the generation building Georgia's future—honoring our past without being limited by it. This is the Georgia I want you to know. Not just the name, but the story.
Telegraph
5 days ago
- General
- Telegraph
How ‘sunset wines' are transforming traditional cocktail hour
Orange-wine drinkers used to style themselves as insurgents against the claret establishment. Now this wine colour hasn't just gone mainstream, it's been joined by a dreamcoat array of other shades of amber and rosorange and coral and fuchsia and cerise and vermilion. These sunset hues span variations on the orange and orange-rosé themes. They also exploit a territory once known as clairet: the boundary between a very dark pink and a vibrantly translucent light red. How 'sunset' wines get their colour Orange and rosorange wine get their colour from 'skin contact', a process that has spawned a thousand innuendos and isn't quite as exciting as it sounds. Simply, most wine grapes contain pigment in the skins but have pale flesh and juice. This is why it is possible to make white Champagne from the black grapes pinot noir and pinot meunier, and why it is called blanc de noirs. White wine is made by pressing grapes so the juice is removed immediately from the skins (and other solids), taking with it little of the pigment. In red winemaking, the grapes are crushed and fermented in contact with the skins, seeds and pulp, which results in more of the colour, and other compounds such as tannins, transferring into the wine. Playing around with those norms and with the length of skin contact time, and the maceration temperature, can give you a different range of colours. Fermenting white grapes with the skins brings orange hues into the liquid; removing the fermenting juice of red grapes from the skins sooner can give you different shades of pink through to light red. Combining both approaches gives you rosorange. What do skin-contact wines taste like? These sunset wines are everywhere, but they're not very easy to classify. In restaurants, some wine lists, like that of Bar Valette in east London, have replaced the traditional red, white and rosé taxonomy with red, white and 'Neither red nor white'. Meanwhile Bobo Wines, the bag-in-box company, has called its version from Alsace Vin Blouge (a blend of blanc and rouge). 'The wine world's newest darling… part-white, part-red, maybe even part-orange… boundary-defying but utterly smashable,' goes the blurb. This exactly nails the attraction. In appearance, such wines tempt the Instagram lens. In flavour, they engage aperitivo-hour drinkers, who look for wines with the appeal of a light cocktail; often fruity and chilled, perhaps with a vestige of florality and a tinge of either astringency or sweetness. They're not wines you need to think about. They're not wines you match to food (they go with everything). They're pure social: bar wines, beach wines, festival wines. Here are the ones I think you'll enjoy. The best skin-contact wines
Times
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Times
Three sommeliers tried Meghan's new rosé. Here's what they thought
The Duchess of Sussex has made her first foray into winemaking with the release of her Napa Valley rosé, released under her lifestyle brand As Ever. The 43-year-old first revealed her interest in wine in the mid-2010s, when she would share her favourite robust Tuscan reds and dry white Sardinian wines with readers of her lifestyle blog The Tig. The blog's name was a nod to Tignanello, a so-called 'super-Tuscan' chianti. Meghan has said that her first sip of Tignanello taught her what it meant to appreciate a wine's body, legs and structure. Now with the release of her $30 rosé, Meghan has sampled and personally selected a blend of cabernet sauvignon, syrah, grenache and mourvèdre from the Fairwinds Estate Winery in Calistoga, in California's Napa Valley.
