Inside Weingut Odinstal

'You don't do biodynamic, you ARE biodynamic, otherwise it won't work.' That is the firm conviction of winemaker Andreas Schumann, who changed course at Weingut Odinstal in 2006. WINELIFE, together with importer VineWine, sought him out in Wachenheim in the Palatinate.
TEXT & IMAGE MAGDA VAN DER RIJST

At Weingut Odinstal, we work entirely biodynamically. According to winemaker Andreas Schumann, this is the only way to let the wine show its true character. The character that suits the terroir, grape variety and weather conditions in the vintage.
'When I became interested in biodynamics?' Andreas Schumann doesn't have to think long about the answer. 'It had been dormant for a while, but the turning point came in 2006. On 2 June, violent hailstorms destroyed everything in the vineyard. There were no leaves left on the vines. I called my friend and biodynamicist Georg Meissner and asked him what he would do to restore some of the havoc. I was up for anything, we literally had nothing left to lose. He advised spraying with nettle tea and getting to work with biodynamic preparations like gravel, cow manure and dandelion. In a short time, leaves came back on the plant and we ended up bringing in healthy grapes after all. Seventy per cent less than normal, but we had expected to have lost everything. From then on, I was convinced that BD was the only way forward for Odinstal and for me.'

Biodynamic: what's the deal?
Both organic and biodynamic viticulture do not use artificial fertilisers and chemical pesticides. Above all, natural solutions are sought to combat diseases in the vineyard. Biodynamic winegrowers go one step further compared to organic farmers. They see the vineyard as a living organism. They strive to connect everything in the cosmos - earth, climate, plants, animals and people. The position of the sun, moon, planets and stars plays an important role in their work in the fields and cellars. Biodynamics focuses on life in the vineyard (soil), the health of the vines and minimal intervention during winemaking. In the vineyard, preparations are used, among other things. BD preparations are composed of plant and animal parts, preferably from the immediate environment. They protect the plants and make both the soil and the vines more sensitive to cosmic influences. Once the grapes are harvested, the wine makes itself. Admittedly under the supervision of the winemaker, who dares to let go and does not intervene to work towards a particular style of wine.

Read the full story now in WINELIFE #54.

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