L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, AUGUST 22, 2019 www.italoamericano.org 28 L'Italo-Americano Biodynamic wine: setting sail S et the sails, I feel the winds a'stirring Towards the bright horizon set the way Cast your reckless dreams upon our Mayflower The haven from the world and her decay. -Low Anthem, from the song "Charlie Darwin" Cape Cod, Massachusetts, 7.31pm: High tide is approaching, wind singing harmony to the sound of repeating waves. Sunset turns the sky aflame as seabirds fly fast and low over the water's surface dip- ping their heads to feed on whate- ver is in reach. The incoming tide pulls the ocean closer to my beach chair, reminding me of the moon's powerful force. Under its lunar in- fluence, oceans ebb and flow. And according to proponents of biody- namic wine, lunar rhythms are central to the practices and prin- ciples of biodynamic farming and wine production methods. Demeter Association, a certi- fier of biodynamic farming and products, describes the difference between biodynamic and conven- tional wines: "Biodynamic wines are intima- tely connected to the estate. The primary distinction between Biodynamic and conventionally grown wines is that Biodynamic grape growing develops the vi- neyard's greatest potential—al- lowing the vineyard to be the best it can be—and then captures that distinctiveness in the bottle. You will often hear Biodynamic wine- makers say that their goal is to make the best wine by making the most authentic wine. (Demeter, Biodynamic Agriculture Wine FAQ, demeter-usa.org) An article published by Cham- bers Street Wines, a NYC-based leading retail source of organic, biodynamic, and natural wines, captures the connection of lunar cycles to biodynamic wine prac- tices and principles: "Beginning with the funda- mentals of organic farming and observing all of the practices of 'natural' winemaking, biodyna- mics further connects the farm or vineyard with the rhythms of the earth and atmosphere through the performance of vineyard and wi- nery tasks in alignment with lunar and other cycles. It actively pro- motes the life of the soil, and the organisms within, through the ap- plication of specially prepared composts and animal products." (Chambers Street Wines, What Are Natural, Organic, and Biody- namic Wines, chamberstreetwi- nes.com.) I should mention here that neither the moon nor the discipli- nes of biodynamic farming nor the Cape Cod twilight are intended subjects of this article (though they certainly contribute). This article's subject, if really there is one, is a compound reali- zation: biodynamic farming methods are far kinder to the en- vironment than are conventional methods, and biodynamic wines, simply put, taste better and leave me feeling better after drinking them than do (most of) their con- ventionally made counterparts. As a point of reference, and hi- ghly regarded in the biodynamic wine-sphere, is Italian winemaker and viticulturalist Arianna Occhi- pinti whose farming / wine- making practices align with and embody biodynamic methods: "Arianna Occhipinti is an Ita- lian winemaker and winery owner based in Vittoria, Italy … in the Cerasuolo di Vittoria DOCG… Occhipinti has worked in the wine industry since age 16 and has re- leased red wine vintages under her own label starting at age 22. She is known for growing wines in the biodynamic methodo- logy…Occhipinti has farmed all of her land Biodynamically since 2009. She started with one hectare of vines and had 10 hectares as of 2014…Occhipinti introduces very little, if any, sulfur in the wine, uses no filtration, and fol- lows an extremely simple vinifi- cation process: wild fermentations from native airborne yeasts, 30 days maceration on skins, six months of aging in cement tanks, and a final rest in bottle before release…She is one of the largest producers of biodynamic wine (over 120,000 bottles annually), and it was among the first to be recognized by critics as high-qua- lity wine." (Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, Arianna Occhi- pinti) Off in the distance is Provin- cetown, at the tip of Cape Cod, outlined in the twilight. On Nov. 11, 1620, anchored in Province- town Harbor, 41 passengers of the ship Mayflower, pilgrims seeking religious freedom in the New World, signed the Mayflower Compact to "…combine oursel- ves together into a civil body po- litic; for our better ordering, and preservation and furtherance of the ends aforesaid; and by virtue hereof to enact, constitute, and frame, such just and equal laws, ordinances, acts, constitutions, and offices, from time to time, as shall be thought most meet and convenient for the general good… " (Walter Brooks, November 11, 1620: Mayflower Compact Si- gned in Provincetown Harbor, ca- pecodtoday.com) I fold the beach chair and make my way back to the car just as the sun dips below the horizon. Humming a few bars from Char- lie Darwin, I look up at the still lovely sky and submit to a com- mercial break in programming: tonight's entertainment brought to you by the natural world, wine, and beginnings of self-govern- ment in the New World. Tasting Note Occhipinti SP68 Nero d'Avola Elegant and classy, this wine stirs the emotions with its purity, fantastically fresh raspberry, cherry, pomegranate, cinnamon and herb underlined by delicious minerality. Simply precious. They are intimately connected with the estate were they are produced. Photo courtesy: Arianna Occhipinti Biodynamic wines pay attention to the rhythms of nature and of wine making JOEL MACK WINE NEWS TRENDS PROFILES

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