Biodynamic Wine Growing

This is the definitive book on the subject, although I was surprised that there was no mention of the excellent book by Nicolas Joly from Coulee de Serrant which I read some years ago and which explains the whole basis of the biodynamic approach. Subtitled 'understanding the vine and its rhythms', this beautifully illustrated book explains the Goethean approach to the archetypal plant, observation and metamorphosis before going on to more general considerations and examples of vineyards at work. Goethe studied the process of growth through time and the 'gesture' of individual plants as they unfold. In the case of the vine, there is also the formation of wood during the autumn. The editor explains the history of the grape louse and draws an interesting comparison between American and European vines in their ability to take up water. Rather than trying to control a monocultural process through chemicals, the biodynamic grower accompanies the vines through their annual cycle, and the overall approach is one that emphasises health – salutogenesis – rather than disease, pathogenesis. I see this as part of a much wider shift towards and emphasis on health and resilience that highlights the connections between the health of soil, plant, animal and human as stated by the pioneering Sir Albert Howard.