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NA VIGA TION W I N E M A K I N G than the 501 prep, in which cow manure is buried in a horn between the autumnal and vernal equinoxes and subsequently ap- plied in minute dilution to foliage. A con- ventional double-blind controlled experi- ment might test its efficacy by measuring pruning weights, anthocyanins production and insect populations. But enthusiasts like Randall Grahm cau- tion against such experiments. "You have to look within the whole system imple- mented over several seasons. It requires a leap of faith. Vines farmed Biodynamically have generally appeared much healthier (apart from the years when they haven't)." It's fair to say that we would not try to test, say, a new carburetor design discon- nected from the rest of the engine. Are the wines any good? That's surpris- ingly difficult to say, because it depends on your definition of "good." In surveying thousands of wines at AppellationAmerica. com, my finding is that Biodynamic wines operate under different quality rules, and like other label information such as appel- lation or varietal, it is helpful to know that the wine is Biodynamic before tasting it. Personally, I like these wines. The Bio- dynamic flavor profile has a higher toler- ance for microbial defects such as VA and aldehyde, but it holds the wine to a much higher standard in terms of flavor inter- est, distinctive character and minerality.7 A perfect 10 for a conventional Merlot des- tined for Safeway might be denied typicity status as a Bio wine. "Do not condemn the judgment of another because it differs from your own. You may both be wrong." —Dandemis Long-term prospects Given a couple decades of practice, we might begin to ask if Biodynamic vineyards have achieved commercial viability. What irks Stu Smith and others is that consumer curiosity is buoying up these experiments, allowing them a competitive edge. In my view, this only partially levels the playing field for brave souls such as Grahm and the Benzigers, who are diving out of an economic airplane with the hope of knit- A Screw Cap Revolution VinPerfect offers a revolutionary screw cap liner that transmits discrete, predictable and reliable amounts of oxygen into a wine bottle over time. » Insures against reduction » Consistent, calibrated oxygen ingress » Zero TCA We have created wine's first perfect closure. Interested producers are invited to test it. Go to vinperfect.com/trials for details. PATENT PENDING VinPerfect 136 Wines & Vines JAnUARY 2011 STAINLESS STEEL COOPERAGE Providing leading wine makers with stainless steel barrels of high quality, durability, and design. TM 2650 Napa Valley Corporate Drive, Napa, CA 94558 707.252.2155 | vinperfect.com SKOLNIK INDUSTRIES, INC. 4900 SOUTH KILBOURN AVENUE CHICAGO IL 60632-4593 PHONE 773.735.0700 FAX 773.735.7257 TOLL FREE 1.800.441.8780 HTTP://WINEDRUM.SKOLNIK.COM EMAIL: SALES@SKOLNIK.COM QSEE US AT UNIFIED, BOOTH #441 ting together a functioning parachute on the way down, and I wish them all the publicity updraft they can conjure. We never ask an existing life form wheth- er it is valid. If it exists, it must be viable, at least for now. One compelling reason Bio- dynamics is succeeding is that its restrictions and mysteries appeal to the consumer. Monsanto's petrochemical farming probably isn't viable in the long term ei- ther, but nobody is calling it a hoax. There is a faith that, should problems arise, we will have the wit to deal with them. This has proven to be the case, except when it hasn't. The built-in difficulty is that through a kind of natural selection, we are left with just the unsolvable problems. The Biodynamic practitioners have gotten off that bus a little earlier than the rest of us. Skolnik_Dir10_Jan10.qxd 10/19/09 10:04 AM Page 1 How little we understand how little we know Any honest appraisal of scientific endeavor reveals that faith-based intuitions guide re- search at every turn. We believe in infer- ential statistics, randomized block experi- mental designs and medical risk factors, and we worship rationalism like a deity. In the clash of Biodynamics and science, there is plenty of faithful adherence to doctrine on both sides. JOIN THE VINPERFECT BOTTLING TRIALS