🍷 Biodynamic wine

Biodynamic wine is wine made from biodynamically raised grapes. The International Demeter Biodynamic Standard (2025 edition) says that Demeter wine may carry the Demeter logo only when it meets the standard's rules for both the vineyard and the cellar. It traces the method to the lectures of Rudolf Steiner in 1924, known as "The Agricultural Course".

In the vineyard the standard requires the biodynamic preparations. Cow-horn manure (500 or 500P) is applied at least once a year at no less than 50 g/ha, and horn silica (501) at no less than 2.5 g/ha. Manures and compost are treated with the compost preparations.

In the cellar the standard works from a positive list: whatever it does not mention is excluded. Among the things named as not permitted are genetically modified micro-organisms, ascorbic acid, sorbic acid, PVPP, diammonium phosphate, isinglass and gelatine. Sugar, rectified must or concentrate may raise alcohol by at most 1.5 % vol, pasteurisation is not allowed, and indigenous yeast is the rule. Sulphur dioxide is capped: total SO2 at bottling is 140 mg/l for dry white, rosé and sparkling wine and 100 mg/l for dry red (180 and 140 mg/l above 5 g/l residual sugar).

Wine made from Demeter grapes but processed under EU organic wine rules cannot carry the Demeter logo. The back label, however, may say "Wine made from Demeter grapes" or "Wine made from biodynamic grapes", and nowhere else on the pack.