Shane Golden | A Worldview Bearing Fruit

A worldview bearing fruit

Wishing not to cover old ground, the following can be considered a sequel to this article 

Time, place, character and surprise are the four pillars to crafting any good story. Yet the tale of modern Biodynamics in wine only requires 2 of these. The character, Nicolas Joly, the place Savennières-Coulée-de-Serrant of the Loire Valley.

Is great wine made in the vineyard or behind closed doors? Well for those who lean towards a terroir-first philosophy in this Nature v Nurture debate, Joly’s awarding of Decanter Magazine’s Hall Of Fame award for 2025 will come as a boon. A victory here for those who believe that Sustainability is more than a just buzzword. Considered the Godfather of modern Biodynamics, he rails against the idea of technically superb wines, especially those that do not reflect their origins. Nature is red in tooth and claw after all and does not wear a lab coat. 

He has, along with the “Return to Terroir” group he co-founded, inspired and motivated countless winemakers to put sustainability at the heart of every conversation.

The idea of Biodynamics in wine, that is, the effect of its practices on the actual outcome in the bottle, presents a challenge to the rationalist in anyone. Much that you may hold solid melts into air here. Preparation 502 for example, requires the stuffing of dried yarrow flowers into a Stag’s bladder, left to dry out in the summer, buried in winter and dug up in the spring. When used, it is said to help regulate a plant's metabolism as well as provide protection against high humidity.

Unconventional? Yes. 

Pseudo-Scientific? Probably. 

The results? Regularly marvellous.

To believe in biodynamics requires a figurative leap of faith, but that can then become literal upon tasting. That these wines exhibit a brightness, purity and character is undeniable.

Maybe not underwritten by Science but certainly backed by quality. 

While modern organic farming may be traced back to the 1940s, Biodynamics recently turned 100 and takes organics a step further with its holistic emphasis on practices, rituals and spiritual perspectives. Well regulated and prescribed, yet still attractive to the free spirited. When seeking out biodynamically-produced wines look for some of the following symbols on backlabels.