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Biodynamics

A collection of 55 issues

Winterizing the vineyard as we wait and hope for rain

By Levi Glenn The falling leaves mark the commencement of the “slow time” of the year in the vineyard. Harvest is in the rear-view mirror. All the grapes have been fermented and the wines are resting comfortably in their respective vessels, yet one last series of tasks needs to be

Alpacas (not Llamas) - The Rock Stars of Biodynamic Farming

By Lauren Cross One of our alpacas, Freddie Mercury (named after the lead singer of Queen), stood center stage on the front cover of our printed newsletter this summer. Since Freddie's debut on our newsletter, the tasting room has been abuzz with discussion about what really are the

An easy peach preserves recipe (A.K.A. Something to do with the fruits of your biodiversity)

One of the principal tenets of Biodynamics is creating a diverse ecosystem in whatever you're growing. That means avoiding monoculture, encouraging the growth of native and complementary plants, and reaping the benefits of the complex, healthy soils and resilient, self-sustaining inesct population that result. Our animal program is

Counting sheep (and losing sleep)

By Levi Glenn Most of my mornings start with counting sheep. You herd that right. Raising sheep in an area that borders so much wild land means that we have to keep a close eye on the herd. The predators that populate this area are quite formidable, the most dangerous

A fertile beginning to 2013

The vineyard is still safely dormant, but our flock is growing. It's lambing season, and we've turned our sheep barn into a nursery. In the manner of new parents everywhere, I'll share a few baby photos because I can't help but think

Photo of the Day: Donkeys on Guard

Some photos are too good not to share. As regular followers of the blog know, we have two donkeys that help guard our mixed flock of sheep and alpacas from coyotes, bobcats, mountain lions and other predators that might threaten the smaller animals. Donkeys will bond with other species in

Compost Tea: a Power Shake for the Vineyard

By Levi Glenn A few years back we started to make and apply compost tea in the vineyard. It was an effort to try to improve our soil, a central theme in organic farming: improve the soil and the plant will follow. Compost tea contains two important soil improving components:

Photo Essay: Spring Cleaning in the Vineyard

Between winter's worries about rain and frost and summer's worries about ripening lies a busy but often overlooked spring season where we have about a month to clean up the vineyard. This spring cleaning mostly involves making decisions about whether to mow, disk or spade our

The powerful impact of our grazing herd in the vineyard

As we get to know our grazing herd out at Tablas Creek, we're becoming increasingly convinced of its effectiveness. A photo will illustrate the impact. It shows the border between two vineyard blocks, on the right one that had the animals in residence for the previous five days,

Another detour along the road to American organic wine

About three months ago, the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) made a ruling that didn't get a lot of press, but is likely to produce a remarkable trifecta of negative results, discouraging organic viticulture and ensuring that the reputation of American organic wine remains dubious, all while putting