http://reignofterroir.com/2010/02/01/morgans-halfway-house-for-wannabe-winemakers-pt-2/ Wine Blog Thu, 29 Jul 2010 02:26:46 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 http://reignofterroir.com/2010/02/01/morgans-halfway-house-for-wannabe-winemakers-pt-2/comment-page-1/#comment-56868 1WineDude Mon, 01 Feb 2010 19:25:49 +0000 http://reignofterroir.com/?p=3313#comment-56868 Hmmm... wasn't aware of horn substitutions being allowed in BD winemaking... I think someone needs to 'Scrabble challenge' that one! :) Hmmm… wasn’t aware of horn substitutions being allowed in BD winemaking… I think someone needs to ‘Scrabble challenge’ that one!

]]> http://reignofterroir.com/2010/02/01/morgans-halfway-house-for-wannabe-winemakers-pt-2/comment-page-1/#comment-56859 Amaronese Mon, 01 Feb 2010 15:56:19 +0000 http://reignofterroir.com/?p=3313#comment-56859 Though interesting and clearly somebody very passionate about wine making, it struck me Morgan seems to be a little bit on the sloppy thinking track when it comes to interventionism and biodynamics. Take the Maconellicoccus-infection in her vineyard: of course 'biodynamics' as a principle is not going to solve it, but biodynamics as a frame of thought can be helpful to find the right thing to do. It's clear - to me, that is - that there is a severe problem with the micro-ecological equilibrium in the vineyard with such a large mealy bug infection. Just to spray - biodynammically/organically, whatever - is not going to take this out, because it's only fighting the symptoms, fighting the outcome and not taking out the germ, looking for the reason. Same with her comments on acidification and fermentation problems with wild yeasts ... . Most organic, biodynamic, natural winegrowers I know don't like to talk about organic, biodynamic, natural winegrowing/making as a principle, a set of directives (or even worse: this astrological gibberish, which is just a huge cliché btw). They just make wine in the best possible way, with hard work and supreme vigilance in the vineyard as well as in the cellar and, of course, a lot of careful thinking. Even then sometimes things go wrong, but not always for the worst. I have some of J-M Brignot's Savagnin 2004 in the cellar, which is just the best wine vinegar I ever had ... . This is an extreme example of course. I don't want to preach non-interventionism and all that jazz here, it's just that considering the theory of biodynamics or organic winegrowing bottom-up, starting from what you have in the vineyard, instead of top-down could maybe help. Pity her wines are so difficult to get here in the EU. I will definitely try to lay hands on some bottles when I am in MN. Though interesting and clearly somebody very passionate about wine making, it struck me Morgan seems to be a little bit on the sloppy thinking track when it comes to interventionism and biodynamics. Take the Maconellicoccus-infection in her vineyard: of course ‘biodynamics’ as a principle is not going to solve it, but biodynamics as a frame of thought can be helpful to find the right thing to do. It’s clear – to me, that is – that there is a severe problem with the micro-ecological equilibrium in the vineyard with such a large mealy bug infection. Just to spray – biodynammically/organically, whatever – is not going to take this out, because it’s only fighting the symptoms, fighting the outcome and not taking out the germ, looking for the reason.
Same with her comments on acidification and fermentation problems with wild yeasts … .
Most organic, biodynamic, natural winegrowers I know don’t like to talk about organic, biodynamic, natural winegrowing/making as a principle, a set of directives (or even worse: this astrological gibberish, which is just a huge cliché btw). They just make wine in the best possible way, with hard work and supreme vigilance in the vineyard as well as in the cellar and, of course, a lot of careful thinking. Even then sometimes things go wrong, but not always for the worst. I have some of J-M Brignot’s Savagnin 2004 in the cellar, which is just the best wine vinegar I ever had … .
This is an extreme example of course. I don’t want to preach non-interventionism and all that jazz here, it’s just that considering the theory of biodynamics or organic winegrowing bottom-up, starting from what you have in the vineyard, instead of top-down could maybe help.
Pity her wines are so difficult to get here in the EU. I will definitely try to lay hands on some bottles when I am in MN.

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