Wednesday, November 3, 2010

. . .and now biodynamic wines at Harvey Nics!

If you had any doubts that there was a natural wine bandwagon rolling just check this: Harvey Nichols has put a list of biodynamic wines into its revamped flagship restaurant in Knightsbridge.

According to a press release I've just received:

The extensive wine list at Fifth Floor Restaurant now features a brand new range of 30 biodynamic wines and Champagnes . . . In recent years, some of the internationally renowned estates have started producing biodynamic wines with great success and Majorie Cropp [the Fifth Floor sommelier] is excited to be able to present these wines to Harvey Nichols diners. Champagnes include Jérôme Prevost, La Closerie Les Béguines, Pinot Meunier; whites include Meursault, Domaine des Comtes Lafon, Burgundy, France, 2005 and reds Flor de Pingus, Ribera del Duero, Spain, 2008.

Not sure what I think about this. Great that more people will get a chance to drink biodynamic wines but not sure I want them to be chic. And will there be enough genuinely naturally made wine to satisfy this new demand?

2 comments:

  1. Fiona, you seem to put “naturally made” and “biodynamic” wines on par in this article, almost synonymous. I’m sure you’ll elaborate on that in the near future.

    Many of us have strong feelings against the “all-chemistry” wines. This does NOT mean to say one has to adhere to all of the alternative approaches. The biodynamic group, while resorting to many of the principles of the “organic farming” world, also insists on almost esoteric methods and demands a strong “belief”, of a religious, yes, even fundamentalist type.

    The sulfite-free (or almost) wines don’t claim any supernatural interference. A contrario, as far as I know, Steiner’s followers don’t forbid the use of sulphur.

    I know things are mixed up and complicated, but we, your readers “de la première heure”, hope you’ll define the miles-stones right from the start.

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  2. Fair point Luc. I think this blog has to cover quite a range of approaches and no, biodynamic doesn't necessarily mean natural. But I would say biodynamic winemakers are more likely to adopt a non-interventionist approach to winemaking.

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