Vineyard/Farm — a living, life-giving system

The Winegrower

The Winegrower - Vineyard/Farm as a living, life giving system

“A sustainable farm should be a whole farm, like a whole person. It must have integrity. It must have a moral center. It must be connected to its values and the greater world. It must aspire to do what is right, not just for the bottom line, not just from a legal standpoint, but from a moral and ethical standpoint. It’s not only accountable, it’s responsible.” Adapted from Paul Dolan’s True to Our Roots, Fermenting a Business Revolution, 2003.

Winegrowers are nature’s partners. These farmers take a holistic approach and treat the soil and everything grown on it as a living, life-giving system. They are always thinking systemically about how their activities give back to the land. Farmers use nature’s own processes to restore nutrients to the soil, regulate water usage in the vineyard and create biodiversity to keep balance. The plant and animal kingdoms are connected.

By listening to the unique needs of the farm, winegrowers find creative, natural solutions to problems that arise.

Biodynamic winegrowers use the biodynamic calendar to guide the timing of their work: when to plant, cultivate and harvest crops. However, biodynamic farming is much more complex and encompassing than the calendar. Farmers must also eye changes in the weather, rely on common sense and use knowledge of the specific needs of their land to guide annual farm activities.

The farm is a healthy organism – an individualized, diverse ecosystem guided by the farmer. The ultimate goal is the creation of a completely self-sufficient biodynamic farm that produces everything it needs onsite: fertilizer, pest control and water management.

Biodynamic farming and winemaking produce wines that are authentic expressions of the vineyard and the passion of the grower.