Biodynamism: Should we be drinking wine in accordance with the Lunar Cycle?

Taking biodynamism one-step further, certain adherents to the science claim that the position of the moon not only effects soil quality and wine growth but actually also has a noticeable impact on the way wine tastes on a day-to-day basis. I was pretty surprised when I did a quick Google search after class to learn a bit more about biodynamism to find an article on Vine Pair describing this claim, which to me seems rather outlandish. If interested, I recommend you read the post, titled "We Blind-Tasted Biodynamic Wines According to the Lunar Cycle: Here's What Happened", but to give you the quick highlights:

The moon passes through different zodiac signs, and by extension, all days fall into four categories:

1. Fruit: The moon is aligned with fire sign constellations
2. Flower: ... Air signs
3. Leaf: ... Water signs
4. Root: ... Earth signs

According to certain wine experts, "wines tend to be most effusive and flashy on fruit or flower days, and tend to be more reticent and bashful on root and leaf days." Translation: drink wine on fruit and flower days, not on root and leaf days.

To put this "science" to the test, the author of the post experimented with tasting two different wines on each of the four different day types. Her verdict was that while the wines did taste differently from day-to-day, her perception of the wine had no correlation to the lunar cycle days. All in all she said that "the wines did not show poorly on any of the tasting days," even the leaf and root days that are supposedly to be avoided. 

My key takeaway: I won't argue with the apparent success of biodynamic farming on a wine's quality, but when it comes to drinking wine, it's probably not worth the effort to be constrained by the forces of the Lunar Cycle. Instead, I'll personally drink my wine whenever I please. (Really, abstaining from wine drinking on leaf and root days just seems unnecessary). But in case you're curious to test it out for yourself, there's of course an app, called When Wine, that will help guide you on your celestial wine-drinking journey. 

The Brochet Wine Experiment

Following Alder’s wine tasting lesson, I did some research re. what it takes to become a master sommelier and stumbled upon a study I had read as an undergraduate psych major. The dissertation, written by Frederic Brochet, a PhD candidate from Bordeaux France, created a massive stir in the wine community when it was released in 2001.

In Brochet’s study, researchers gave ~54 oenology students two glasses of white wine, one dyed with red food coloring and asked subjects to describe the wines. An overwhelming majority of the wine experts described the smell and tastes of the white wine with terms typically used for white wine (eg. “honey,” “peach,“ and “lemon“) and the dyed red white wine with terms used to describe red wines (eg. “raspberry,” “cedar,” and “cherry.”)  This was in spite of the fact that both wines were exactly the same (with the exception of a few drops of tasteless food coloring).  

But here’s the kicker, which I did not learn about when I read the study originally.  Brochet, who created massive uproar in the industry and had the public questioning wine critics and the press making fun of wine expertise, left the world of academia to become a winemaker himself. Oh, the irony.

The Dark Side of Wine

When reading "Wine Politics" by Tyler Colman over the weekend, I was surprised to learn that, as part of the daily ration, soldiers were equipped with a 1/2 liter of red wine per day called Pinard. Wine became a source of national unity and was a way to help soldiers get through the horrors of the trenches. While according to Colman, France's peak of wine consumption was in 1900 at 100 liters per capita per year, widespread consumption of wine (i.e., "popular intoxication") across different socio-economic classes was born during WWI. 

The 1915 poster below shows a poilu (a French soldier) and asks "What do you need to be happy?" The answer is "A little lady, spirits and Pinard."

The Wine Glass Ceiling – Diversity in the Wine Industry?

We’ve had the privilege of hearing from some of the most successful women in the wine industry, but it was Terry Wheatley who really got me thinking about the demographics of the industry as a whole. I really appreciated her candor in her remarks about how her gender and age ae perceived in the industry. I’ve heard many times that, like most industries, the wine industry suffers from a lack of diversity, both in distribution, retail, and wine making. So I did some digging in hopes of finding stories of minority, female, and LGBTQ winemakers and to understand what some of the barriers are when it comes to breaking into the industry.

My search brought me to Bertony Faustin, Oregon's first black winemaker. Faustin describes the wine industry's stereotype as being one of status and racial homogeneity. But today, more African-Americans and other minority groups are increasingly making and drinking fine wine and wine-tasting clubs for African -Americans have proliferated. The shift, many experts say, is making the industry less elitist and attracting a diversity of customers. For generations, social class — and, hence, wealth and race — limited Americans' access to fine wine. Marcia Jones, host of the syndicated weekly radio show "Wine Talk” explains that Civil Rights is just 50 years old and the opportunities that were made available for minorities to enjoy things like dining out at established restaurants is fairly new. In the wine industry, there are only a few dozen black vintners across the country, about 20 of them in Napa Valley. But their inroads into winemaking reflect the country's massive social changes and increasing economic mobility[1].

In the hopes of debunking myths, Bertony Faustin is making a documentary film about breaking the racial barrier, with the goals of giving more visibility to African-American, Latino, Asian and gay vintners and empowering the next generation to drink and pursue wine-related jobs.  His documentary, "Red, White and Black," will feature several people of color and a lesbian couple; their stories, he says, prove that despite financial barriers and lack of vintner lineage — himself included — first-generation minority winemakers can succeed.

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[1] Minority winemakers look to change industry's stereotypes

A Napa Valley Retreat

If you ever feel like you need a break from school, Napa Valley is place to go. It’s close enough to feel accessible, yet far enough removed to feel like a real escape.


Last Saturday, I went to Napa with my three best girlfriends. It was a beautiful sunny day, and given it is the off-season, it was pleasantly quiet. Our first stop was a private tasting at Cardinale Estates in Oakville. The first thing that strikes you when you enter Cardinale Estates is the gorgeous grey, stone building that sits atop a hill. The tasting room has floor-to-ceiling windows that let the light flood in and the balcony has possibly one of the best views of the Valley. Our tasting experience began with a “welcome wine”. It was a Sauvignon Blanc called Intrada that is only available to drink on the premises of the winery and is not for public sale. We then sat down for an intimate lesson on the wines themselves. 

While we were being served a series of vintages from the Cardinale library along with an accompaniment of meats and cheeses, we were informed by our hostess that Cardinale only produces a single wine from each vintage, a Cabernet Sauvignon (with Merlot in the blend) and even this is in limited production. She told us that the typical production varies from about 2000 to 3000 cases per year and it is selectively distributed through the country. I was told that element 47, the restaurant I had dined at several weeks prior, is only sent 12 bottles of their wine per year! The Cardinale tasted fruity, with a mild tannin and a floral aftertaste. 2013, we were told was the best vintage, given the perfect growing conditions.  I bought one to age…but let's see if I can wait till 2027!

Our next stop was Archetype, where we ate a delicious brunch before heading to our next tasting at Opus One. A few weeks ago, we briefly read about Rothschild’s Californian brainchild which he created in partnership with Robert Mondavi. Starting at $450 a bottle, we sadly did not walk away with an Opus One souvenir, however we did have a taste of the 2012 and 2014 vintages as well as the Overture collection wine. Of the three wines, the Overture was surprisingly my favourite. It is the second wine in the Opus One collection and is a multi-vintage blend that is soft and easy to drink. The wines are aged in French oak and like Cardinale Estates, they only produce one vintage per year. Even if you don’t go for the wine, I would highly recommend everyone to check out the Opus One property, which looks like a futuristic space ship in the middle of a perfectly manicured green landscape.

To end the day we had dinner at Bistro Jeanty, an adorable little French bistro in St Helena town. It was an indulgent day of drinking and eating but after a stressful week of midterm papers and exams it was well worth it!