Ep. 351 Monty Waldin on Biodynamic Wine | Dynamizing

Italian wine podcast. Chinchin with Italian wine people. Hello. Welcome to the Italian wine podcast. I'm your host, Monte Walden. In recent years, I've noticed increasing interest in ideas such as organic wines, so called natural wines, and biodynamic wines. I'll read for you some excerpts from my book Biodynamic wine and follow-up with some commentary on the topics covered for those interested in acquiring the full Biodynamic wine text. It's available from my publisher, infinite ideas. Who right now is offering a discount fifteen percent through July thirty first twenty twenty to get the discount use the code, which is bio fifteen off at infinite ideas dot com. That's bio, which is a b I o one five o f f. We're now going to get into some aspects of the Biodynamic agriculture method. That may seem rather esoteric or even far fetched for many of our listeners, especially when the word spiritual crops up. Biodynamics has a, quote, spiritual side woven into its worldview, but not spiritual in the sense of organized religion spiritual. The best way to think of the use of the word spiritual and biodynamics, is a way of connecting humans with the natural world that surrounds us, and that also includes not just existing wild habitat, but also includes our farmed land, including, of course, vineyards. Think of biodynamic wines as coming from vineyards without fences. And think of the spiritual side of it as farming that lifts the spirits of the crops that are being grown biodynamically. And that lifts the spirits of the farmers growing those crops and that lifts the spirits of us too when we eat or drink those crops. And the more we eat, the more we have a chance of realizing that our current farming model will render our planet barren, meaning no longer able to give birth to new life, human, or otherwise. And that, my friends means no more why. Dynamizing or stirring. The underlying principle of the nine biodynamic preparations numbered five hundred to five zero eight, is that they are physical substances, which carry intangible, etheric formative forces. For the forces contained In the three biodynamic field spray preparations to reach the farm, it is first necessary to dilute them in water and then stir or dynamize them. The same dynamizing process is also used for the only liquid compost preparation, which is the Valerian number five zero seven, before this is applied to the compost pile. On one level, the stirring or dynamizing process allows both the forces contained within the preparation as well as those from the wider celestial sphere to reach the land. On a practical level, stirring helps the substances to be thoroughly mixed in the water. The oxygenating effect the stirring has brings a substantial increase of oxygen in the water. This helps microbes present in, for example, the horn manure five hundred or Maria Tune's barrel compost sprays to multiply rapidly. When stirring a biodynamic preparation in water in a vertical container, A whirlpool effect is created by the wall of water which forms at the center. Rudolphsteiner described this as a crater, but this is now more commonly referred to as a vortex. The vortex should be as deep as possible going to the bottom of the container. Nicholas reminds us that the latent forces underlying life are often manifested. In physical matter, in the form of spirals, think of carving rings on vertical shaped female cow horns. That would probably be the prime biodynamic example. Another might be our universe, a spiral in which our planets constantly swirl. Spirals of water are what form or create the vortex. The container for dynamizing. A common container used by wine growers for stirring is an old barrel with one of the ends removed. In any event, the stirring vessel should be sighted in a place which makes use of gravity, both for filling it with water and draining dynamized liquids ready for spraying. In terms of its dimensions, VM Assort suggests the dynamizer should be taller than it is wide, and with a rounded out bottom for a better stirring effect. Ideally every biodynamic farm would be of a size which permitted all tasks to be carried out manually, even stirring. Although Rudolphstein acknowledged that for larger farms mechanization would be necessary. Yet, Steiner was clear, which method was preferable saying there's no question that stirring by hand has a quite different significance than mechanical stirring. Although, of course, someone with a mechanistic world view would never admit it. The number of companies supplying stirring machines aimed at the bidonomic market is small, but increasing. Supplies I'm aware of include Matier Bouchier in France. His company is called Terre on Duvenier. He's based in Montrei bellet, which is in the lower region. He makes dynamizers from wood and also from clay lime. And that's important because it's metal free. Another one is Jan Zefirino Montinari of Bio Micanica in Scandiana, in Italy, not far from Rome. He produces cleverly designed and mechanically robust copper stirring machines and sprayers framed in stainless steel. The electric motor is insulated and movable, so it can be sighted away from the machine when a dynamization is taking place. Unframed alternatives, also from copper, are made by the Swiss, Ulrich Schrayer of Ekudin. He's based in which is in the which is in the in France, And he's now, by far, France's leading supplier of copper dynamizers to wine estates. Steve Storch, in Watermill, New York state in the USA, he designs produces barrel shaped copper stirring machines, which are hydraulically rather than electrically powered. Flow forms, The traditional way of dynamizing using a bucket, tub, or tank results in a single, central, vertical vortex or whirl, which forms in the water. At most, around two hundred liters can be stirred by hand in this way, whereas for volumes of around six hundred liters can be stirred in the largest mechanically powered vertical dynamizers. Much larger quantities of water, up to several thousand liters can be dynamized by using what are called flow forms. The first flow forms were designed in the early nineteen seventies. When Theodore Spink asked John Wilkes, an English potter, turned sculptor, and graduate of the Royal College of Art, to make a model over which water could flow. A flow form consists of a series of between three and up to a dozen or more small and symmetrical sculpted vessels or basins through which water is channeled. Water flow rates vary between one thousand liters per hour for a three basin flow form and up to two thousand eight hundred liters per hour for a seven basin flow form. Each basin has an inlet and an outlet. Water is channeled to cascade and stream through these sculpted forms in a way which replicates certain archetypal forms found in water's movement in its natural state, such as if it were eddying and flowing over pebbles in a stream. The water. The effectiveness of water based sprays may be improved by bearing in mind some of the following observations as regards water quality. Tap or mains water is deemed unsuitable for biodynamic spray preparations, teas, liquid manures, and thick options. It is too hard, alkaline, and contains added fluoride and chlorine, as well as runoff from nitrate fertilizers. And also pesticide residues from agricultural runoff as well. Although these cannot be removed, chlorine levels can be reduced by aerating the water, either by passing it through a hose with a sprinkler head, or splashing it into a container which is left uncovered. Pier Masol favors water with a slightly acidic pH of between six and six point five. And water with a low mineral content like rainwater. To collect it, let it rain for twenty minutes before placing a recipient container under a roof gutter because the earliest fraction will be the most polluted and contain mineral impurities, which may inhibit the fermentation process for liquid manures. It is also likely to contain accumulated dust and other dirt from the roof itself. The pH of alkaline spring or river water can be lowered, meaning acidified, with cider or wine vinegar. While that from an acidic granite rich soil can be raised by adding calcium rich marine Mill. That's written, m a e r l. And that is calcified c l guy. When steiner was asked in the discussion after the fourth lecture, of his nineteen twenty four agricultural course, whether the forces carried by a dynamized liquid would be lost by using a machine that breaks the liquid up into very fine spray. He replied, Not at all. They are very firmly bound. In general, you don't have to be nearly as afraid that spiritual things will run away from you as you do with material things. Thank you for tuning into this examination of dynamizing liquid preparations. Join us next week for other sprays and techniques. Until then, I'm your host, Monte Gordon signing off for the Italian wine podcast. If you're interested in my book, Biodynamic wine, my publisher infinite ideas is currently offering fifteen percent off through July the thirty first two thousand and twenty with offer code bio one five o f f. Listen to the Italian wine podcast wherever you get your podcasts. We're on SoundCloud, Apple Podcasts, HimalIFM, and more. Don't forget to subscribe and rate the show. If you enjoy listening, please consider donating through Italianline podcast dot com. Any amount helps cover equipment, production, and publication costs. Until next time,