It wasn’t all that long ago that viticulture – like most forms of farming – was conducted as if growers were waging war on nature. Fertilisers, pesticides, herbicides and insecticides were routinely deployed in an attempt to produce a healthy crop (although the healthiness arguably lay in the abundant yields rather than the state of the grapes themselves).
Times have changed, and so too has the demand for environmental sustainability in all aspects of wine production. Opinions have shifted for a variety of reasons that include health, quality and a desire to leave a viable, functioning planet for the generations to come. As a result, many producers are farming their vineyards organically, biodynamically or – a relative newcomer to the viticultural scene – by adopting regenerative farming techniques. These three systems have a lot in common and yet there are essential differences between them.
Organic
Organic agriculture is, perhaps, the system with which wine lovers are most familiar. Organic fruits and vegetables are to be found in all supermarkets, and many wine producers use the term ‘organic’ on their labels. The trouble is that when you try and pin down a definition of the word, most of us struggle to articulate exactly what it means. Things get even more complicated when you realise that different certifying bodies for organic wine have a range of criteria for their awards.
Generally speaking, though, organic producers seek to reduce the amount of products employed in their vineyards, and to eliminate the use of synthetic chemicals entirely. Rather than use glyphosate or other herbicides to keep the ground between vines bare, organic producers tend to encourage the growth of inter-row plants and grasses (which are often mulched down into the soil to help provide nutrients for the vines, further helping to eliminate the need for fertilisers). Instead of using insecticides to get rid of winged pests, organic producers often use pheromone traps or encourage natural predators to visit their vines (or both). Getting rid of fungal diseases – downy mildew, in particular – poses a problem for organic producers, though. Restrictions on the use of fungicides means that they have to fall back on the use of copper sulphate sprays, but heavy use of these can result in copper toxicity, so their use is often limited by law.
In addition, growers seeking or using organic certification need to promote biodiversity in and around their vineyards. Not only does the planting of trees in and around vineyards add to the visual appeal of a region, trees also provide shelter for a whole host of species that can help keep pest numbers under control. Another fundamental aspect of organic viticulture is the promotion of soil health, and this means that growers need to take steps to avoid soil erosion or the depletion of the nutrients and trace minerals contained in the soil. Once a grower has proven that they can consistently meet these goals – and that their winemaking processes don’t entail the use of forbidden additives and processing aids – their wines can be certified as organic.
Biodynamic
Biodynamic viticulture could well be considered to be a form of enhanced organic production, but while it encompasses all the main practices discussed above, it features an underlying system of beliefs that, for some, test the boundaries of scientific rigour. To begin with, biodynamic producers aim, as far as possible, to work according to the phases of the moon and the planets. Not only do they believe that these bodies can affect the way wines taste, they can also exert an influence on viticultural practices. For instance, harvesting ideally takes place on ‘fruit’ days, while pruning is best undertaken on ‘root’ days. Perhaps, though, biodynamic viticulture is best known for the way preparations are used to treat vineyards. Preparation 500 involves burying fresh cow manure in cow horns around the start of autumn. The horns are then dug up six months later, and the organic matter is diluted before being sprayed over the vineyard as a fertiliser. Many of the treatments are plant-based, among them sprays made from horsetail, used to prevent or mitigate fungal disease, while teas made from decoctions of stinging nettles can help vines develop resistance against pests and diseases, while also promoting sap flow in hot weather. The vast majority of these teas need to be ‘dynamised’, which means that practitioners believe that they need to be stirred in a particular way, often for a long time, in order to become fully energised.
Biodynamics is a holistic philosophy, so although, strictly speaking, the term only covers vineyard practices, producers working biodynamically tend to adhere to minimal intervention in the cellar. These include avoiding the use of additions to the must, fermentation with indigenous yeasts and a minimal use of sulphur, among other practices.
Regenerative
Regenerative viticulture, like biodynamics, is based on an all-encompassing belief system, and this dictates a holistic approach to farming. Regenerative farming implies an understanding of the inter-connectedness of the biome in which the vines are implanted. This extends from the large-scale flora and fauna that live in and around the vineyard to the microbiome of the soil in which the vines are rooted. The health of the soil is a key focus of regenerative farming as there is a recognition that the microbes and fungi that live within it play a key part in helping the vines to thrive.
As a result, much of the work of regenerative viticulture is aimed at improving and maintaining soil health. However, rather than the organic and biodynamic approaches, which dictate specific pathways to addressing problems, regenerative farming requires a flexible approach tailored to the particular requirements of individual sites. Take the use of cover crops, for instance. In cooler, wetter growing zones, cover crops have a vital part to play in restoring nutrients to the soil and helping to prevent erosion, as well as supporting biodiversity. But in hot, dry regions, cover crops might well compete with vines for scarce water resources, so growers in these regions may well place greater emphasis on composts and mulches (although composts and mulches might also have a part to play in cooler regions).
Animals can contribute towards a healthy vineyard, too. Vermiculture, in which worms are used to convert organic waste into nutrient-rich compost, is another tool available to regenerative farmers. And larger animals can be used to improve the soils, too – chickens and sheep are just two farm animals that might be used to manure the vineyards during autumn and winter.
The flexibility allowed by regenerative viticulture is both its greatest strength and also a potential weakness. Its potency as an agricultural tool lies in the fact that this holistic system can be adapted to the requirements of any vineyard, wherever in the world it happens to be and whatever its specific needs. However, this flexibility imposes a demand for detailed research and a certain amount of initiative on behalf of any producer wishing to adopt a regenerative approach to farming his or her vineyards. This is because there are no guidelines to follow – just a series of aims and, thank goodness, a thriving support system in the form of other producers willing to share advice on best practice. In addition, unlike either organic or biodynamic farming, there is hardly any certification available for vineyards farmed under the regenerative system, making it significantly harder to communicate the degree of care and attention that has been lavished on the grapes to the end consumer. Nevertheless, this flexible, adaptive mindset may well be the key to viticultural survival given the climatic challenges vineyards are likely to face in the coming decades.
|
Organic viticulture |
Biodynamic viticulture |
Regenerative viticulture |
Aims to minimise or eliminate use of chemicals |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Encourages biodiversity in and around the vineyard |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Entails a holistic approach |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Official certification available |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
Specifies a list of rules that must be adhered to |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
Wide degree of variability in terms of accepted practices |
No |
No |
Yes |
Soil health |
Important |
Really important |
Absolutely key |
Use of teas and other preparations |
No |
Yes |
No |