There are many viticultural regimes in relation to trimming your fruit before harvest. The main objective is to direct power from leaf to bunches of grapes; not too much, never too little. It's a photosynthetic balancing act. A vine wants to produce a boat load of foliage to grow and prosper. If man were not around to snip, twist, aim, etc., the vine would not likely produce ripe enough grapes for quality wine. Each vine, moreover, each shoot is an entity in its own right, having an ostentatious personality, producing a boat load of leaves or the quiet, shy sibling, conversely producing one bunch or perhaps, nothing.
The first week dropping fruit was pure monotony. In the U.S., most wineries save this joy for immigrant workers getting underpaid clipping under the hot sun. Many harvest hands arrive and don't realize while producing a slight 1,000 cases of wine, we have 10,000 personalities to look after... 10,000, that's a lot of frickin' vines, yet to strike a relationship between each vine takes care and good nature. As my grandmother once said, "there are never any problems when you're in the garden."
Waking up in Cromwell on a Sunday morning is a beautiful thing. And that brilliant sun is a constant reminder (and should remind you must you travel to this region) about the ozone factor down here. It's non-existent. We're located in an area that rarely sees more than 350-400 ml of rain annually. The rain shadow effect means that the coasts are lush with forests and fauna and the valley that stretches down the spine of the southern island (wine region of Central Otago) is an arid and intense growing area.
This sunburn is awesome, not because it's a closer bout to skin cancer but it constantly reminds me that I would be chillin' (literally) in 30° weather. Burn and all it's been a busy week!
We've been knee deep in biodynamic preparations (actually massaging cow pies, filtering out the grass and preparing them for their basin home in the earth for the next two weeks to a month(s) turning them into usable soil). I will give a full detailed video on this at a later date. Many-a-biodynamic wine geek, myself included, reads about this and really hasn't an idea of how it's actually performed; you'll get your fill. There's also been much dropping of fruit, cluster counts (crop estimations), and vine trimming.
I have the day off-it is Sunday after all- and plan to enjoy the sun and head to Queenstown. A jump off a cliff perhaps (I've always wanted to hang glide)?
Biodynamics. It's a term that gets thrown around, somewhat like organic. When people ask me what is biodynamic and furthermore, what is a biodynamic wine, it's a little like trying to explain the theory of life, literally. Intricacy, celestial awareness, spirituality, energy, forces, organics, time, effort, sweat, and constant learning and adjustment are all integral parts of the process.
Rudolf Steiner delivered the "concept" of preparations that are a cornerstone to "biod" philosophy (we'll discuss those at a later time) in 1923 and since then this movement has seen it's fair share of followers, albeit not bathing in any sort of spotlight until recently. Many of the preparations are a recent practice that any follower will iterate you receive your time/money back in spades after six years or so, worries decrease and the process walks a smoother path not without its bumps. Think energy-efficient light bulbs... How simple was the food chain thousands of years ago; it just worked. It was sustainable and flowed via nature's course.
True biodynamic farming involves constantly planning for the future. Here at Burn Cottage Vineyard, the plan stretches out at least 25 years. Why wouldn't you plan ahead? How many of you have 401K? If you were relying on pesticides and other unhealthy remedies you would expect immediate gratification after spraying and applying; Why do you think many industrial farmers/seed companies are constantly coming up with new applications/seed for higher yields or to solve various complications? Many industrial farmers exhaust all options to solve a crisis on their farm and later, consult the biodynamic farmer stating, "I've tried everything, what can I do to resolve 'x'?".
The celestial concepts however, have been used by our ancestors millennia before there were sprays, fungicides, pesticides, and pills for our plants that in the end we ingest. Planting according to the lunar calendar only made sense and people were eating well, sufficiently, and sustainably. That's what biodynamics is all about, healthy soil and animals, good energy, sustainability and in the end, a better you and your homeys (as cheesy as that sounds). As a friend and co-worker in the business states, "It's what makes organic farming actually work."
As odd as this thought is, wine becomes almost an afterthought, a bi-product of the biodynamic process. Waste not want not.
An office desk led to a retail wine job, then a wine bar gig, later a cellar rat cum assistant wine maker position, meanwhile holding a sommelier position and now...
Life is short and we must take advantage of every opportunity to live life and look at responsibility with skepticism. I'm the first to pay my bills on time and wake up well, kind of early, but never trifling with a chance to taste, feel, see, and hear.
I've never been those that flaunt name brand jeans (although I tried, my figure was not flattered by said pants). If you look at history, once the masses gets an article into their clutches, it usually goes to hell. I don't suspect I will reach the masses, therefore, I only hope to bring a little peace, joy, journey, and good wine, etc. into ones cerebral & palatable being.
