For Halloween, I wanted a theme with a bit of mystery. Buried cow horns, ground quartz, the moon deciding when to bottle. It looks like a witch's ritual, but it is biodynamics. I will tell you what is behind it. I leave the judgment to you.

From a castle to wine

It does not originate in the wine world. We are in 1924, in a castle in Silesia, in Koberwitz, today Poland. Some farmers ask for help from the philosopher Rudolf Steiner, who gives eight lectures: they are the basis of everything. The idea is that the farm is a living organism, soil, plants, and animals together. In 1928, the Demeter brand is born. It arrives in wine much later, and its godfather is Nicolas Joly, in the Loire, who has been working biodynamically at Coulée de Serrant since 1984. First myth: biodynamic is not synonymous with organic. It starts from organic and adds preparations and a calendar. All biodynamic wines are organic, but not all organic wines are biodynamic.

The Halloween part

A cow horn filled with manure, buried in autumn and unearthed in spring: this is preparation 500, dissolved in water and sprayed on the soil. Its twin, 501, is ground quartz in a horn. Then the herbs in the compost: yarrow, chamomile, nettle, dandelion, valerian. And the moon: Maria Thun's calendar divides days into root, leaf, flower, and fruit. Some people even use it to decide when to taste. But a blind test with professionals found no differences linked to the type of day. Fascinating, to be taken with a smile.

Why they are so sought after

For the names: Joly, Lalou Bize-Leroy in Burgundy, Zind-Humbrecht in Alsace, Chapoutier in the Rhône, Elisabetta Foradori in Trentino. For the philosophy: few interventions, spontaneous yeasts, wines that tell the territory. As for science, there are mixed results. In California, an eight-year study found no differences between organic and biodynamic. In Switzerland, near Basel, an experiment ongoing since 1978 shows that biodynamic produces less but uses much less fertilizer and has healthier soil on several parameters. Some say the secret is the meticulous care of those who practice it. I say the proof is in the glass.

In the glass

Honest answer: a "biodynamic taste" does not exist. Those who love them describe wines with transparent fruit, with great tension, sometimes a bit cloudy or with unusual aromas. Not necessarily a defect, it is a living wine. Two tips: open it in advance and taste it again after half an hour. And look for the certification on the label, Demeter or Biodyvin.

Come and taste them. No potions, in the glass only grapes, served with the Coravin. Coravin Wine Bar, Via Carlo Maderno 23, Lugano. Cheers!