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Posts Tagged“biodynamic”

Long Island Sustainable Winegrowing (LISW) Announces Formation and Sustainable Vineyard Certification

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Most wineries on the East End of Long Island like to talk about being “sustainable” in their vineyard practices and winemaking. There’s discussion about windmills and compost piles and this spray or that application, but let’s be honest, “sustainable” is a nebulous term… at least in the way they are using it, to denote a certain “green”-ness without formal biodynamic or organic certification. Those require strict adherence to defined rules over a set period of time. “Sustainable” is a bit of a “green” grey area without any local definition or certification. It is a term that is decidedly open to interpretation.…

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Cornell University Workbook Helps New York and Northeastern Growers Go Green

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We all know, green/sustainable/biodynamic/organic vineyard management is one of the hottest topics in the wine world these days. But how can the uninitiated get on the road to greenness? Cornell University and the Cornell Cooperative Extension have just released a new workbook to help grape growers in New York and the Northeast. The 125-page self-teaching workbook, "New York Guide to Sustainable Viticulture Practices," offers guidance in evaluating and adopting the best management practices for minimizing environmental impacts, reducing economic risks and protecting worker health and safety. Topics include: soil management to reduce erosion, runoff and leaching; use of integrated pest…

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WBW #29: Shinn Estate Vineyards 2004 Cabernet Franc (North Fork)

I don’t mean any offense to Jack or anyone else who believes strongly in biodynamic farm practices. Really I don’t and I think that there are some great wines being made with biodynamic-grown grapes. Anyone who has tasted any can see that. But I don’t buy into the benefit some of the more ‘hocus pocus’ techniques. Maybe it’s the former scientist in me. I was a biology major after all. I’m all for organic and sustainable farming. The benefits to the land, environment and those living there are obvious and much more provable. In my mind, biodynamic gets a little…

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