The chemicals don't work so go biodynamic: Joly September 28, 2007
Sophie Kevany in Bordeaux
Mildew has affected biodynamic and non-biodynamic farmers alike this year, Nicolas Joly has said - proving the uselessness of chemicals.
The biodynamic guru – owner of the Coulee de Serrant vineyard in the Loire - has written a new book in which he reprises his much-repeated theme: modern farming is destroying wine.
In an interview in the Organic Wine Journal earlier this year he pointed the finger at wine consultants for ruining the land.
'My first book [about biodynamic farming] was for the farmer,' Joly told decanter.com. 'This one is for the consumer. They have the right to have a raspberry flavour in a wine, but also the right to know whether it was put there naturally or not,' he said.
The proof of the failure of modern farming practices, he said, has been the fact that this year biodynamic and non-biodynamic farmers alike suffered from the mildew epidemic. Modern chemicals, says Joly, no longer work.
'My aim is to get back to the real taste of wine,' he said. 'The taste of this grape, grown in this place, with this climate.'
In the new book Joly claims that vines have undergone four 'dramas' in recent times: weedkillers, fertilisers, increasing disease levels that necessitate the use of systemic chemicals – those that enter into the internal system of the vine, not just rest on leaves or grapes – and the chemicals themselves.
Joly also says the winemaking cellar has become 'a factory' due to the use of added yeasts, osmosis and other additives in musts, all of which artificially add flavours to wine.
With biodynamic farming all of this can be avoided, Joly says. But convincing other winemakers will not be easy: most remain tolerant but sceptical.
'I don't agree. But if Nicolas Joly didn't exist we would have to invent him,' said Hubert de Boüard, owner of several Bordeaux chateaux and president of the regional board of INAO, the French wine regulatory body. 'He certainly makes us all think,' he added.
The English version of the book, 'What is biodynamic wine', was published in May this year by Clairview Books, and the French version will be out in October.
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Whereas I broadly agree with Nicolas Joly's philosophy, it is important to point out that there were many vignerons throughout France, this year, who avoided any serious attack of mildew because they carried out a complete series of anti-mildew treatments on their vines. It was those who did not carry out the full course of spraying treatments who saw the mildew win the day. As with so many things to do with the vine, organics and bio-dynamics, there is a happy medium between being a bio-dynamic purist and an old fashioned 1970's grape producer!
Chris Piper, Devon, UK and Beaujolais, France
Hurrah for people finally getting back to nature. If we don't respect and care for this earth it won't support or respect us. It's that simple. Chemicals are not the answer, working with nature is, I see it in several vineyards that are farmed organic and bio-dynamically. The earth and vines are healthier, we will be healthy as well if we follow the 'rules' of nature. Don't hurt your MOTHER. The Native Americans knew that.
Gail Bickett
I don't deny the fact chemicals are certainly bad for the environment and that their use should be restricted as much as possible hence the interest of N.Joly's position. We have indeed to be careful about the planet as a whole and make sure not to destroy the ecosystem we are living in.
Of course environment is the only concern of the above article, nothing to do with a promotional campaign for the release of the French version of the book, which is, by the way, available in English.
How much does it retail for again…?
Nicolas Palazzi
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Whereas I broadly agree with Nicolas Joly's philosophy, it is important to point out that there were many vignerons throughout France, this year, who avoided any serious attack of mildew because they carried out a complete series of anti-mildew treatments on their vines. It was those who did not carry out the full course of spraying treatments who saw the mildew win the day. As with so many things to do with the vine, organics and bio-dynamics, there is a happy medium between being a bio-dynamic purist and an old fashioned 1970's grape producer!
