Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/689634
s p r i n g / s u m m e r 2 0 1 6 | 4 3 Bonterra Organic Vineyards in Northern California's Mendocino County farms about 1,000 acres of vines organically, and additionally uses Biodynamic techniques on about 30 percent of that acreage. So why Biodynam- ic? That's what I travelled to Bonterra to find out. "We want a healthier farm," Bonterra's Winemaker, Jeff Cichocki, said suc- cinctly. "A healthy vineyard enhances the development of terroir." Terroir, of course, is the recognizable taste of a place ("Oh, I know where this wine is from!") and the Holy Grail of most winemakers I know. In other words, the healthier the vineyard, the more the grapes can express their individuality in their aromas and flavors. Biodynamic viticulture especially encourages the development of terroir because, as Cichocki says, "The goal is to bring nothing in from the outside." That is, no manmade agricultural chemicals or genetically modified crops, but also no inputs from outside, whether natural or not. The vine- yards make their accommodation with the natural ecosystems in which they grow, including all the pests and diseases, as well as the beneficial plants and animals that make up the unique biodiversity of the place. What grows there stays there, recycled through tillage and composting. These standard organic farming practices contribute to terroir, but they're not the whole picture. Biodynamics is the whole picture: The farm—or vine- yards in this case—is understood to be a living organism, capable of sustaining itself in perpetuity, and includes more than soil, plants and animals. The heavens are up there. Can't forget them. The moon pulls up the tides and then lets them down again. The sun is the engine that drives the show, and leaves and flower faces follow it as it crosses the sky. The stars chip in. There are also forces in the earth that need to be respected, such as water, whose inexorable force can wear down mountains and whose flowing forms are repeated by nature in all her living creatures. on about 30 percent of that acreage. So why Biodynam ic? That's what I travelled to Bonterra to find out "We want a healthier farm," Bonterra's Winemaker, Jeff Cichocki, said suc cinctly. "A healthy vineyard enhances the development of terroir." Terroir, of course, is the recognizable taste of a place ("Oh, I know where this wine is from!") and the Holy Grail of most winemakers I know. In other words, the healthier the vineyard, the more the grapes can express their individuality in their aromas and flavors. Biodynamic viticulture especially encourages the development of terroir Biodynamic viticulture especially encourages the development of terroir because, as Cichocki says, "The goal is to bring nothing in from the outside." because, as Cichocki says, "The goal is to bring nothing in from the outside." That is, no manmade agricultural chemicals or genetically modified crops, That is, no manmade agricultural chemicals or genetically modified crops, but also no inputs from outside, whether natural or not. The vine yards make their accommodation with the natural ecosystems in which they grow, including all the pests and diseases, as well as the beneficial plants and animals that make up the unique biodiversity of the place. What grows there stays there, recycled through tillage and composting. These standard organic farming practices contribute to terroir, but they're not the whole picture. Biodynamics is the whole picture: The farm—or vine yards in this case—is understood to be a living organism, capable of sustaining itself in perpetuity, and includes more than soil, plants and animals. The heavens are up there. Can't forget them. The moon pulls up the tides and then lets them down again. The sun is the engine that drives the show, and leaves and flower faces follow it as it crosses the sky. The stars chip in. There are also forces in the earth that need to be respected, such as water, whose inexorable force can wear down mountains and whose flowing forms are repeated by nature in all her living creatures. Bonterra Winemaker Jeff Cichocki. "The goal is to bring nothing in from the outside." IN CALIFORNIA'S MENDOCINO COUNTY, BONTERRA ORGANIC VINEYARDS TURNS TO BIODYNAMICS—AND THE RESULTS SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES by Jeff Cox PHOTO: COURTESY OF BONTERRA