I’m doing a little bit of work at the minute on rosé from Provence and thought it’d be a good idea, if I’m going to do a half decent job, to do a shed load of background reading on the subject. It’s incredible how often this happens in wine, but it was another occasion of reading around a subject you assumed would be a bit samey and being completely bloody wrong. Not only that, but I’ve stumbled across my new favourite wine region.
For the past year or so, I’ve become a 100%, fully fledged, biodynamic convert. Biodynamics is a way of growing the vines, managing your vineyard, and making your wines in tune with the ecosystem around you, promoting natural resistance from the vine to all pests and disease. It’s also based around the lunar cycle, which is still the bit I’m a touch confused about, but given the gravitational pull of the moon with the tides of the sea, and that farmers for thousands of years have used the lunar cycle to determine crop growth, I’ll get over any doubts and keep reading up.
Want to call me a bit hippy, dippy? I don’t care, I love it, and I’m going to promote biodynamics every time I get a chance.
So I was really chuffed when I was reading up about Provence wines and stumbled across the appellation of Les Baux De Provence AOC. If I’ve read this right (anyone more than welcome to correct e if I’m wrong), it’s written in the laws of the AOC that everyone has to be biodynamic. They started off saying everyone must be organic, a rule laid down as the strong mistral wind that is vital to the region would blow any sprays or chemicals all over everyone else’s crops if you used them. So out they went. And then naturally the biodynamics (often joked about as a kind of Organic+) followed on.
Love it! Now I’ve just got to find some to try…
Cheers
PHOTO: Avignon & Provence Tourism
