Chew On This / August 2009
Backstory
Finding Biodynamics
by Jeff Weissler
In 2002, as the Wine Director of Suburban Wines & Spirits, I gathered a dozen high-end California cabernet lovers to taste nine high-end California cabernet-based blends. The wines were presented in numbered paper bags. This event occurred at Peter Pratt’s Inn in Yorktown Heights, NY. Wines included in the mix were highly sought after rock stars from Bryant Family, Colgin, Harlan, Araujo, Pride Cab Reserve and Quintessa. No Screaming Eagle since we wanted to keep the noise level down.
Afterwards, when the votes came in, I was alone in my choice for first place. We each shared our top three, and bantered on the why. Before too long, I had convinced a few to join my bandwagon. Most of the wines were big, textured, tannic monsters. Layered and lush, complete events that you could hang on the wall as trophy prizes.
Hidden in this mix were two wines that told a different tale: more mysterious, not so obvious nor powerful, yet concentrated and complex. They gave and then they didn’t. They changed, almost like a chameleon, as we smelled and tasted. 
Wines that give enough to invite you in, but not too much (especially at the beginning), remind me of a good book. Dive in, hang out a while, and see what unfolds and develops. My 1st place wine was Araujo, and my other wine of mystery was Quintessa.
The following year, I was in NYC at a trade tasting led by the owner of my favorite winery from France’s Alsace region, Zind Humbrecht. Some producers around the world just seem to go beyond the typical style of their region and create wines that become categories all their own. I had experienced the wines of Zind Humbrecht in that way. Olivier’s talk was the first time I heard the word "biodynamic" related to wine. It made me curious and I started to search.
I discovered, to surprise and delight, that Araujo was amongst a very small group of American wineries farming biodynamically. Quintessa, my other favorite, was moving in that direction.
Further research led me to a story about another favorite producer of mine. This time it was Domaine Leflaive from France’s Burgundy region. They are in a village called Puligny (poo-lean-yee) Montrachet (mown-rah-shea). The article described an experiment done with one vineyard. It was already being farmed organically. They split it in two, and incorporated key elements of biodynamic farming to half. Then made the two wines in the exact same way.
When their British distributor visited, they were asked to blind taste the two wines. Out of a dozen tasters, all but one preferred the biodynamically farmed one.
Three of my top four favorite wineries in the world share in farming biodynamically, and this has inspired me to create ConsciousWine.
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