BIODYNAMIC VITICULTURE

Biodynamic viticulture aims to support the development of nature and people by ensuring the highest possible degree of ecological, economic, social and emotional sustainability. A self-contained, self-sufficient farming cycle is considered the ultimate goal of biodynamic wineries and enables them to achieve maximum individuality with their products.

Besides plant strengtheners used in organic viticulture, other biodynamic compounds such as manure-filled cow horns, cow horn silica and various plant extracts can also be used for support. A holistic understanding of the winery also includes cosmic influences on living organisms, such as the influence of the moon phases. Consequently, the use of technology, auxiliary materials and additives should be kept to a minimum in the cellar in order to produce wine that is as natural as possible.

There are two key organisations within the Austrian wine industry that provide member wineries with codes of practice for biodynamic production: Demeter and respekt-BIODYN.

Demeter Austria is the Austrian branch of the internationally operating association Demeter. Apart from winegrowers, members include more than 7,000 producers of agricultural products farmed in accordance with biodynamic codes of practice around the world. The Demeter logo was introduced in 1928; consequently, Demeter is considered the world’s oldest organic association. respekt-BIODYN was launched in Austria in 2007 and brings together over 30 wineries from Austria, Italy, Germany and Hungary as they strive towards biodynamic wine production and distinct quality standards.

• The winery should ensure the provision of organic fertiliser (manure, compost) and the production of plant strengtheners following the principle of a self-contained farming cycle.
• Harvesting by hand preferred
• Spontaneous fermentation using natural yeasts preferred
• Keep the use of sulphur to a minimum (max. amount defined by the EU regulation on organic farming).
• Soil cultivation, canopy management and cellar work taking into account the planetary constellations
• Use of anthroposophical medicine and classical homeopathy

Mandatory and forbidden measures: see the corresponding section on organic viticulture.                

According to Demeter, it is the only biodynamic association that follows the same basic principles all over the world, although certain standards do differ from country to country. The Demeter logo was introduced in 1928; consequently, Demeter is considered the world’s oldest organic association. Austria has the reputation of being a role model within Demeter International due to its particularly strict code of practice. The most important requirements of a winery for biodynamic certification by Demeter are described below – stricter interpretations unique to Demeter Austria are detailed when applicable.

• 100% of grapes must be Demeter-certified. The winery is not allowed to process products that are not either organic- or biodynamic-certified.
• Harvesting by hand preferred
  • Demeter Austria: harvesting by hand mandatory
• Return skins of pressed grapes to the vineyard wherever possible
• The use of technology, auxiliary materials and additives should be kept to a minimum at all stages of the process in the wine cellar, e.g. use of gravity instead of pumps, physical methods instead of chemical ones
• Vats made from natural materials (e.g. wood, steel, glass, concrete)
• The addition of Demeter sugar or grape juice concentrate is permitted to increase alcohol content by max. 1.5 % vol. (organic sugar and organic grape juice concentrate are permitted if Demeter is not available)
• The addition of neutral (Demeter or organic) yeast is permitted in the case of specific fermentation problems
  • Demeter Austria: only spontaneous fermentation or use of the winery’s own yeast allowed
• Limited use of acidity-regulating agents. Those allowed include lime, tartaric acid and potassium bicarbonate
  • Demeter Austria: Deacidification is only permitted using lime, acidification is prohibited
• The use of lactic acid bacteria is permitted for reducing acidity/malolactic fermentation
  • Demeter Austria: only allows organic spontaneous malolactic fermentation using indigenous lactic acid bacteria
• Permitted fining agents include: egg white, milk, casein, etc.
  • Demeter Austria: organic fining agents such as egg white are prohibited – Demeter-Austria-certified wine is vegan
• The use of copper is restricted to max. 3 kg/ha/year (averaged over a five-year period) and preferably less than 500 g per spray
• Every winery must dedicate at least 10% of its land to biodiversity

• Processes that consume a lot of energy or raw materials
• Plastic or polystyrene vats
• Adding enzymes is not permitted
• The use of oak chips to add oak aroma
• Certain inputs (e.g. gelatine, isinglass), over and above those banned by the EU regulation on organic farming

Respekt-BIODYN was founded with the aim of opening up the debate about biodynamics and systematically implementing these practices in a viticultural context. In contrast to Demeter, respekt-BIODYN does not deal with any other field of agriculture and is therefore entirely focussed on wine and viticulture. According to respekt-BIODYN, the association strives to achieve maximum quality, combined with the highest imaginable respect for natural elements, the soil, plants, animals and humans. By definition, respekt-BIODYN products should ensure the “highest possible degree of ecological, economic, social and emotional sustainability”. The goal is the production of natural wine that is as unaltered as possible.

• Use of 100% respekt-BIODYN-certified grapes
• Harvesting by hand
• Spontaneous fermentation; addition of winery-produced yeast only when fermentation gets stuck

• Fining agents of animal origin, e.g. egg white – respekt-BIODYN wines are vegan
• 16 substances, including: gelatine, egg albumin, isinglass, casein, ascorbic acid, metatartaric acid, oak chips, gum arabic, copper citrate
• Heat treatment
• Reverse osmosis
• Vacuum evaporation
• The use of ion exchange resins (= synthetic resin-based filter materials)
• Correction of acidity should be avoided. In exceptional cases, carbonated lime or tartaric acid may be used
• Improvement should be avoided. The addition of organic sugar is only permitted in exceptional cases and may be used to increase alcohol content by max. 1% vol. to max. 12.5% vol.