Ever Had A Biodynamic Wine? You Can Saturday At Pamplemousse

A release from Pamplemousse on Haven Street:

White, red ... or biodynamic? For a donation of $5 to the Reading High School marching band you can try one of 25 different wines Saturday from 4-7 p.m. at Pamplemousse. The Haven Street craft beer and wine store will pour organic, natural, and biodynamic wines.

So, what's the difference? Let the folks at Pamplemousse explain. The term "organic" is used for grapes grown in vineyards that are farmed using organic practices: no pesticides, no chemical fertilizers, and no herbicides.

The "biodynamic" approach to grape-growing, (from the writings of Rudolf Steiner), is that everything in the universe is interconnected and gives off a resonance or ‘vibe’. It's not just about the grapevines, but the soil and organisms underneath, the flora and fauna of the area and connection to celestial bodies like the moon, planets and stars. Biodynamic viticulture is the practice of balancing this resonance between vine, man, earth and stars. Essentially, biodynamics is a holistic view of agriculture.. Biodynamics differs from organic agriculture in its belief that farming can be attuned to the spiritual forces of the cosmos. This might mean linking harvesting and planting to the phases of the moon—or burying cow manure in a cow’s horn over the winter, unearthing it in the spring, diluting the aged manure in 34 liters of water, and then spraying the mixture over the vineyard.

The term “natural wine,” has no legal definition but broadly refers to wines made without adding or subtracting anything in the cellar—no additives, no chemicals, no sulfur, no oak character from barrels, no filtering, no cultured yeasts. In theory, natural wines are more alive, less manipulated. Some natural wines are delicious, and some do not resemble traditional wine. They can taste more like sour beer. But the passion behind the movement makes the natural wine world hard to ignore. At their best these wines can be thrilling. Just be ready for unpredictability.