Thoughtfully posted by John on Monday, July 26, 2010.
Learning Steiner
I enjoy receiving parcels. On Friday I received two books, one of them being Agricultural Course – The Birth of the Biodynamic Method, a collection of lectures delivered by Rudolf Steiner in Austria circa 1926. My thinking is that although some of what I have read so far is a little far-fetched, it’s a must read for anyone who believes in non-interventionist winemaking (and wine drinking). Cut through the fluff of what the experts say about sustainable winemaking and get straight to the source. Then read what experts, critics and bloggers have to say.
Unless you have been hiding under a rock for the past year or so, the natural, organic, sustainable and biodynamic wine movement has been gaining momentum. Championed by importers, retailers, sommeliers and now the wine buying public, wines that are produced with minimal intervention are here to stay. And it’s not just about the environment that attracts wine drinkers to these wines – it’s the world class quality in the bottle. I have said this before and I will say it again, wines that are produced naturally aren’t always the best wines. I have taste plenty of biodynamic insipidness to know that just because a winemaker takes care of the land and the vine they need to understand how to deliver the harmony of the land, grape and climate in a bottle of wine.
The natural wine movement is here to stay and I believe so because as buyers, sellers and educators we have moved beyond the debate of the existence of terroir and instead are now focusing on why it’s important to deliver the best representations of individual terroirs. Wine does exhibit a sense of place. I am sure of it. What’s prudent now is how to share our findings with the wine drinking public and ween them off of the mass-produced big brand labels which are nothing more than jug wines transformed into Twenty-First Century packaging. If we can do that, then the natural wine movement will be a guaranteed success – unless of course big brands hijack the name and bastardize its meaning like giant agro-business firms have done with “organic” labeling.
Wine Region Update
And as many of you know, I have begun studying for the Advanced Master Sommelier exam next fall. In order to wrap my head around the minutia, I have decided to start with the general facts surrounding each winemaking country in the world. Then, I will work my way inward to smaller regions of each country. Most of the information I am putting up in the Wine Regions section is basic, but it’s a start for anyone interested in guiding themselves into more detail. Below are all of the countries that begin with the letter A and links to their info pages here on WCP.
Albania
Algeria
Argentina
Armenia
Austria
Azerbaijan
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