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Earth-friendly Wines

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While anyone can practice this style of farming, winemakers cannot label their wines “biodynamic” unless they are certified by Demeter, the main association for biodynamic growers. “Biodynamic agriculture had significant recognition as early as 1928 in Europe, when the Demeter certification first appeared,” says Jim Fullmer, director of Demeter. The number of U.S. farms practicing biodynamics has tripled during the past 10 years, and now there are 34 vineyards in the U.S. that are Demeter-certified. “Wine has really been an ambassador for biodynamic agriculture,” he says. “It’s a wonderful fit because wine is a quality-oriented product and biodynamic is a quality-oriented approach to agriculture.”

Biodynamic certification requires that farms be free of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers for at least three years and generate at least 80 percent of their fertilizer from the farm itself. So instead of bringing in organic fertilizers and other materials, vineyard waste, such as grape seeds and skins and landscape cuttings, is recycled back into the land through composting, which helps farmers maintain nutrient-rich soil. “This practice involves creating an ecosystem and it requires serious commitment on the part of the producer,” says Fullmer. “It isn’t something that can happen overnight.”

“Prior to using this method of farming, we put down chemical fertilizers and fed grapes from the top—without consideration for the vineyard as a whole,” says Chris Benziger, one of the founders of Benziger Family Winery, which was nominated in 2005 for American Winery of the Year by Wine Enthusiast for its pioneering efforts in biodynamic farming.

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