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WINEMAKING depth of commitment to the principle of free speech, so Biodynamics tests our true mettle as trained scientists. My goal in this article is not to defend Biodynamics. It sounds nuts to me. But so does the String Theory of current vogue in particle physics. Instead, I'd like to talk about what it means to behave like a real scientist in a time of uncertainty. Many ap- proaches to validating or debunking these practices seem worth looking at: 1. Assess its historical foundations. 2. Conduct controlled experiments. 3. Evaluate product quality. 4. Observe long-term survivability. In addition, science has always relied heavily on the credentials and integrity of researchers. Heavy hitters are always taken more seriously. When Nobel prize- winning chemist Linus Pauling told us to take more Vitamin C, we simply took his word for it. A disturbing number of great minds representing some of the most established brands appear simultaneously to have totally lost it. Never mind Tony Coturri, Randall Grahm and other fringe elements. What has possessed Maison Chapoutier, the Benziger Family and Jim Fetzer to bury the horn? Dubious origins Maybe Biodynamics' short-term survival doesn't really count as evidence of its va- lidity. After all, winegrowing is more fertile ground for extreme experimentation than most other realms of agriculture. Not only does an interesting story boost marketing, but any actual quality improvements easily compensate for yield reductions. Biodynamics sounds nuts to me. But so does the String Theory. Biodynamics founder Rudolf Steiner VintnersSupply_Immer_Dir11.qxd 11/19/10 1:41 PM Page 1 does have a track record that can be ex- amined: He started the Waldorf Schools. Whether you like their approach or not, they have withstood the test of time. Crit- ics of Biodynamics usually prefer attacking Steiner's specific credentials as an agrono- mist. This doesn't take much effort, since he had no farming experience and there is no evidence that he conducted experiments to back up his theory and methodology. But this doesn't prove that his system doesn't work. Steiner's ideas did not NA VIGA TION grow and thrive based on their innate sensibility. Biodynamic viticulture got started well after World War II, decades after Steiner's death. It's not as if any truly rational system of farming exists today. The sustainability of conventional farming is in serious question, and the motives and methodologies of Mon- santo and Dow scarcely bear close scrutiny. While the efficacy of pesticides and fer- tilizers are well tested through experiment, what's missing is the impact, both direct and indirect, on the whole ecology as well as the resulting wine's quality. Modern sci- ence simply isn't very good at modeling complex systems. More fundamentally, systems don't need to be rationally derived in order to work. Former Fed chairman Alan Greenspan's defense of Adam Smith's "invisible hand," which places laissez-faire capitalism above communism's central planning as a pre- ferred organizing principle, stands today as prevailing economic theory. Darwin's vision of life itself as arising purely by natural selection from chance events was initially proposed as an argu- ment against the theory of inheritance of acquired traits previously proposed by Lamarck. Darwin argued that innovations USED BY THE FINEST WINERIES TO ACHIEVE THE BEST RESULTS Call Now to Schedule Design Appointments! A DIVISION OF MOECKLY ENTERPRISES, INC. ™ FILTRATION & SEPARATION LT™ & LT 2+2™ MOG Separators Fruit Receiving Systems Bin Dumpers Sorting Tables Belt Conveyors Screw Conveyors Vibratory Conveyors Peristaltic Pumps...... • Gentle • Reliable depth filter sheets ◆ for successful filtration ◆ from pre-clarification ◆ to bottling VINTNERS SUPPLY COMPANY P.O. Box 153, St. Helena, CA 94574 Toll Free 800.366.6809 • Fax 707.584.7955 www.vintnerssupply.com QSEE US AT UNIFIED, BOOTH #510 • Durable • Highest Quality • Best Performance • Self Priming • Powerful The Good News? Your goal of perfection just became more attainable. The Bad News? Everybody wants one. Membrane presses from 10 HL - 200 HL. Precise control in an exquisite machine. World Renowned Quality Santa Rosa, California 95403 P 707 573 3141 • F 707 573 3140 www.pnlspecialties.com 1650 Almar Parkway CA Contractor's #803431, OR Contractor's #180330, WA Contractor's #PLSPELS923BZ SOLUTIONS • EXPERTISE • QUALITY • SATISFACTION QSEE US AT UNIFIED, BOOTH #F4 Wines & Vines JAnUARY 2011 133