Biodynamic Wines and the Influence of the Moon

For a good part of my adolescence, I shared with my two brothers and some of their friends a hobby demanding and fascinating, like any sport at sea. In spearfishing, we excel in attention, rigor and dedication. And one of the aspects that has always fascinated me about this activity is the way the moon influences the tides... to the point of being responsible for providing an unforgettable day of diving or not allowing you to see an inch underwater.

It is nothing new that this force of the moon, which expresses itself so well on the tides, influences many other everyday moments. And in viticulture or enology, the effect is also felt.

To understand what I am talking about, let's go back in history. Rudolph Steiner (1861-1925), an Austrian scientist and philosopher, came to the conclusion, long before his contemporaries, that if man did not create respect for the earth, he would quickly bring destruction to it. And so he developed an objective thinking of the spiritual world, relating it to the physical world. This biodynamic thinking was developed in various areas, such as education and also agriculture.

In a cycle of lectures in 1924, Rudolph Steiner gave the theoretical and practical foundations on what was to become the biodynamic method. But this philosopher went further on what is today the topic of the day - respect for the earth - by pointing out the differences with the organic farming method and the interaction between what is earthly and the cosmos. In fact, there is a scientific and tangible basis for his teachings, which today are used and developed by many followers. This is the case of vine treatment preparations based on homeopathic teas of plants considered medicinal, among others. But there will also be esoteric practices whose influence we cannot prove, not least because we do not yet understand the impact of the cosmos on the ground.

Most importantly, biodynamics seeks to create self-sufficient ecosystems that promote a balance of animal and plant life. It promotes the creation of closed ecosystems, on farms or estates where no external substances, synthesized or otherwise, are introduced, resulting in self-sustaining systems driven by man, but regulated by the calendar of the cosmos.

What then are biodynamic wines? They are wines in which the producer seeks to have the least intervention, or minimal intervention, for maximum respect. These wines are special since their origin and must have a maximum quality, since everything that involves them requires dedication, experience and improvement. They are wines where the producer shows his respect for nature and where the cosmos and, of course, the moon also make decisions.

Hélder Cunha

My life is the wine

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