Taking A Closer Look At Biodynamic Agriculture and Wine

  In the world of vine growing and wine making there has been a rising interest in an agricultural school of thought called biodynamic.
Based on the writings and lectures of Rudolf Steiner, this form of agriculture intends to produce fruit, vegetables and grains (in fact, all products of a farm including animals) by using the natural rhythms of the land and treating the farm like one living organism.  It's all explained here.

I think the interest in BioD is a natural progression of an agricultural community that is trying to be more of a land steward than a land 'user'.  Words like 'green' and 'sustainable' pepper the media these days when talking about any innovative agricultural movement.  Marketers are well aware that a few key words will engage a public becoming more convinced that their trip to the supermarket can be their contribution to saving the world.

Does Biodynamic farming produce better grapes?  I didn't know.  And I still don't.

To find out a little more I helped organize a field trip to Washington State to meet with renowned biodynamic vineyard consultant Philippe Armenier . Mr. Armenier generously donated some of his time in between consultations with his Washington and Oregon clients.  Our group consisted of about 15 winemakers, growers, resellers, winery owners and some enthused members of the wine drinking public.  We travelled first to the Tri-Cities area and then to the Walla Walla valley to view the vineyards, walk the land and taste the wines.

On Monday, June 28th, we travelled first to the Red Mountain AVA (American Viticultural Area) where we visited Hedges Cellars.  About 40 acres there is dedicated to biodynamic practices.  Vineyard manager John Gomez introduced us to the property and gave his impressions on what the effects of biodynamic practices were.  As a winemaker, I was interested to hear that the Hedges wine making team had nothing bad to say about the biodynamic fruit in comparison to what they grew by conventional methods.  Gomez passed that tidbit on as well as his assertion that he "thinks a small portion of biodynamic vineyard out of the total acreage is a good thing".  He admitted to being skeptical at first,  but now in year three, he was ready to accept that it was a good way to grow grapes.  Hedges was already pretty 'green': no herbicides had ever been used in the vineyard.  He seemed to enjoy the fact that he was presiding over an on-going experiment.  He did lament that he couldn't devote more time to it.

Out in the vineyards, we learned from Mr. Armenier how biodynamic practices encouraged a link between the plant and the soil and supernatural forces that are in all living things.  It's about bringing balance to the vineyard through the use of preparations and treatments that perform certain tasks to enhance the agriculture.  Emphasis was placed on allowing three years to pass before the BioDy effects begin to show.

We tasted the tendrils of growing vines, first from the BioDy and then from the neighbour's conventionally grown vines.  I've never tasted tendrils before.  They were sharply acidic, tangy and sour.  Some of our group professed a fondness for the BioDy tendrils.  I felt they were equally unpleasant.  The BioDy tendrils seemed more like unripe apples.  The conventional tendrils seemed earthier or more tannic.  I hope I never chew either again.  Frankly, I find it quite doubtful that the taste of a tendril in June has anything to do with a grape in October. It's about as accurate as gnawing on the hoof of a cow and then surmising what the rib eye will taste like.  More about cow later.

In many vineyards there is an attempt to mulch or compost vine and waste grape material back into the vineyard.  There are recognized obstacles to this, not the least of which is making sure the pH of the waste material is compatible with good soil conditions.  For that reason, it's important to compost and balance any soil augmentation materials heading into the vineyard.  Mr. Armenier's thoughts on this practice are clear.  Under his BioDy protocols, no grape waste is returned to the vineyard.  In the Hedges' compost we saw only earth, manure and straw.  Suffice to say, the post fermentation grape waste created more problems than it was worth.  In addition, it was suggested the living vines may somehow sense the return of the now 'dead' grapes and certain 'feelings' of remorse may be experienced by the vines at the arrival of their offspring's wasted remains.

We concluded our visit to Hedges with a marvelous light lunch served to us on the front patio of the chateau with a couple of the Hedges family in attendance.  I had the opportunity to demonstrate my cherry pit spitting prowess.

During the afternoon our group split into several smaller expeditions.  Our pack traveled to Pacific Rim in West Richland.  If you're not familiar with this Randall Grahm project, they do a lot of riesling.  And virtually no red.  Which is odd considering they're in sight of the Red Mountain AVA, famous for great reds.  This state of the art facility is jaw-droppingly awesome in so many ways.  Sophisticated yet basic, tech-driven but true to wine making art.  From a winemaker's perspective, it's a great facility and the wines are remarkable at every level.

We overnighted in Walla Walla and included a group dinner at Whitehouse Crawford.  Much of what we saw and heard that day help fuel some lively conversation.  From my observation it was clear that people were beginning to fall into two camps:  those who were increasingly skeptical about biodynamic practices and those who were becoming more enamored of this new agricultural method.  I use the word 'new' because that aspect was stressed on several occasions.  Having only been developed since 1924, the biodynamic method is relatively new when compared to other forms of agricultural practice.

Next day it was time to visit Cayuse Vineyards. Just across the Oregon state line but still in the Walla Walla Valley, Christophe Baron (the gentleman at left) has created stunning results from land most would have viewed as wasteland.  And he's done it biodynamically.  The wines he creates are formidable and exclusive.  They're pretty much 'cult' status; available through a futures program by way of a (full) mailing list.

At Cayuse we were able to see a greater portion of the biodynamic farm functioning.  Draft horses, used to tend the vines, grazed in a nearby field.  Pigs, cows, rabbits, fowl and enormous compost heaps all had their place. It began to look less like the monoculture vineyards we're accustomed to seeing and more like a farm from the old days.  Everything had a distinct yet co-dependent role in the biodiversity of the property.

We were also treated to a viewing of the horn pit.  Cow horns are stuffed with manure and left buried on the property for a period of time.  The composted material that results is then used in one of the biodynamic preparations.  There are many preparations or treatments.  Their use is strictly dictated by the biodynamic code and the timing of certain astrological incidents that allow full use of the cosmic powers around us.

Preparing these treatments is a structured activity.  In fact, at Cayuse, a specialized device consisting of two copper cylinders is used.  Like two old open washer machines, the contents are agitated and stirred with unique paddles as instructed by a programmable logic control (PLC).  With the PLC, the contents are stirred first one way for a set time and then reversed.  Mr. Baron and Mr.Armenier set up the device and filled the tubs with water to demonstrate it for us.  Although no actual preparation was involved, Mr. Armenier asked many of the group to touch the water that was being stirred, noting that "it was no longer just water, it changes into something else".

We concluded our visit with another beautifully catered lunch, presented in the Cayuse cellar, joined by standout Cayuse wines and consumed on the sunny crush pad.

In the cellar, hovering above the centre of the room 5 meters above our heads was a giant paper mache pig.  Strapped to the pig was a cartoonish rocket.  Little wings also adorned the pig, which was painted in many colours and designs.  The pig seemed to be a symbol for something.  That against all odds and popular wisdom, it would appear that a pig could fly (with a little help).  The same pig in a slightly modified form adorns one of the Cayuse labels.

As our time with Mr. Armenier drew to a close over lunch, I found myself suddenly aware of who might find biodynamic agriculture an attractive route.  Is biodynamic right for you? The answer, in part, is perhaps. 
If you're comfortable with the spiritual, if you're open-minded about the world around you and the possibility of the supernatural, you're going to love biodynamic agriculture.  Acceptance, or surrender, to the rules of biodynamics means you don't have to rely on science anymore. You can follow the biodynamic way and know truths about how the universe and the world functions in the cyclical pattern of seasons.  Life forces, unexplainable and defying examination, inhabit the ground, the air and living things.  BioDy will allow you to make all of this work in harmony.
In this way, biodynmics differs little from various religions and other dogmatic, faith-based movements.  A certain degree of acceptance is required.  It's all about linking the soil, the place, the animals and the cosmos and using their life forces to create what we need.  It's about trust and taking the leap.

Like to know more?
There's a forum thread here at Wine Beserkers that makes for some stimulating reading as forces on both side of the issue duke it out.  Included are many interesting links supplied by Brigitte Armenier, Philippe's wife.

Here's how Valeria Tait, one of our participants on the Washington road trip, summarized her experience.

Harvest Report: A Preliminary Look at the Rollercoaster

The harvest in Canada's famed Okanagan Valley and across BC is coming to a close for the wine business. Virtually all that remains are the vines designated for ice wine or late harvest wines.

It has been a truly exceptional year with a number of weather anomalies that kept wine growers guessing right to the end. Punishing winter temperatures last year resulted in smaller crops for many varietals. A late spring left growers wondering when they'd get a break. The summer growing season was long and warm. September, the month we must have perform, was beyond optimistic desires. And then, just a few days ago, the temperature plunged to record lows and abruptly slammed the door on the season. Milder weather is in-bound, but the vines are finished for the year and the crop is being pulled in.

Black Cloud Pinot Noir fared extremely well. A slightly smaller crop resulted in remarkable flavours. At this time, the Pinot is residing in French oak. It's finished alcoholic fermentation and is just beginning malo-lactic fermentation.

A more detailed report will follow in a few weeks.

Black Cloud Pinot Noir is Ready!

It's been a great journey! And it's only just begun.

My wife and I took a situation that was really a kick in the backside and changed into an opportunity.

Back in August, when we lost a big consulting gig, we started thinking about how it sometimes seems like things are going great and then a black cloud moves in and rains on our parade. We talked long into the night about our dreams, where we came from, how far we've come over the years. We talked about our vision of owning our own winery and how that seemed to be just out of reach.

Then one of us remembered how every cloud has a silver lining. We decided then and there to make the situation work for us and not against us.

The wine I had been consulting on was excellent. I knew if I could get some we could use it to shoestring finance our dream. Long story short, my employer, Township 7 , agreed to help us establish the Black Cloud brand until we can spin it off into our own licensed winery operation.

We decided to adopt the Black Cloud name to constantly remind us that adversity makes us stronger and, even if things look bad sometimes, there's always a way to make things better.

In the vineyard, grape vines that have things too easy become insipid and unremarkable. The best fruit undergoes stress and trial.

We hope that our 2006 Pinot Noir exhibits all the character and complexity you'd expect from a hand-crafted, small lot wine. Made from vines that flourished while being tested by the elements.

The labels are on and we are ready to fill orders.

Simply contact us at:

blackcloudwine@shaw.ca

$25 /bottle

Winery Vineyard Supervisor Wanted

Based in Penticton, British Columbia, Canada. Growing operation requires experienced vineyard worker to maintain small winery's vineyard properties and enhance grower relations. Knowledge of annual and seasonal viticultural practices essential. Experience in people management, budgeting, planning and site development definete assets.

Contact me directly for more information.

cooper.bradley@gmail.com

Staff Training - Terms Explained

There's always new staff to train in a growing organization. It helps to have a manual or training book with wine and vineyard terms explained from your company's viewpoint.

A little humour always helps.

Here's an excerpt:

Fermentation
Naturally-occurring or commercially prepared yeast (a genus in the kingdom of fungi) strains (usually Saccharomyces cerevisiae or Saccharomyces bayanus) prefer sugar (complex carbohydrates) to complete their life cycle. The by-products of their activity include alcohol and carbon dioxide. Saccharomyces cerevisiae is also used in the production of ale and stout. Another yeast, Saccharomyces pastorianus, is used for lager. Molson Canadian is a lager. If you notice, pastorianus has the word “anus” embedded in it which explains why Molson Canadian tastes like ass.

Malolactic Fermentation
Primarily used for red wine and Chardonnay, the ML fermentation is a bacterial infection that takes malic acid and converts it to a form of lactic acid. Human taste receptors perceive malic acid as sharp and tangy (think Granny Smith apples) while lactic acid, prominent in dairy products, is softer and ‘creamy’. In conjunction with other factors present, a wine that has gone through ML and barrel aging will be considered to be smoother and more complex. Aroma is also altered. Descriptors can include: corn, cream corn, banana, popcorn, caramel, butter, cheese. ML in white wine (Chardonnay) has been on the decrease in recent years.



Tannins
They get their name from the tanning of animal hides. This was done by using an acidic solution sourced traditionally from oak bark that stopped the decomposition of the hides. Tannins in wine are complex astringent polyphenols that help stop the decomposition of the wine. Tannins are sourced from the grape skins, grape seeds and the wood of the barrel. Care must be taken to not extract too much tannin during production, especially from the seeds which can supply particularly harsh tannins. Tannins combine with substances in wine such as proteins and other macromolecules to form strong and heavy complexes that often precipitate and are seen as sediments in aged wines. The best way to describe the effect of tannin in wine is to have the subject drink from a cup of cold, strong tea. Tea contains a lot of tannin and there are few other flavours to confuse the palate. The effect will be a ‘furry’ tongue sensation. The tea should be sipped with the cup handle grasped between the thumb and the forefinger and the pinkie finger raised.

Crush 2007: A Brief Look at the Harvest

The rain is falling and the temperatures are cool.
All the mountain passes are experiencing some snow.
Except for some Late Harvest and Ice Wine crops, all the grapes have been in for a week now for most Okanagan producers.

We started picking grapes for Township 7 in mid-September. Mostly white varieties at that time but a few Merlot growers started to sneak in right at the beginning of October. Then the weather started to crash.

Wine makers, growers and owners tried to make the weather better using various mental powers but to no avail. As the vines shut down, it became a waiting game for breaks in the weather that would allow harvesting to occur.

Indicators numbers like Brix, pH and TA (total acid) went into suspended animation. The benefits of hangtime, like more intense flavours and such, didn't really materialize, in my opinion. I think the intermittent rains (rain, two days dry, rain. one day dry etc.) negated any hang premium.

What to look for: Okanagan whites will probably be great. The earlier varietals definetly will shine. The reds will be a toss-up. T7 growers are smart growers with good cultural practices so we believe our red vintage will be excellent. Growers who over-cropped or took other short cuts through the season found themselves with unripe fruit this year; when these reds of 07 start appearing late next year (at the earliest) taste before you buy! There will be some vintage variations in your favourite brands.

The End is Near!! Ferment!

The weather is going into its late fall thing so with freezing overnights headed this way by the weekend I've decided to call it all in and wrap it up.

It's time to stop trying to dodge the rainclouds and owe up to the fact that it is all over.

So pick your grapes and blow your irrigation lines. Frosty is around the corner.

What Township 7 is looking at this week:

Viognier (in)

Cabernet Sauvignon (today/tomorrow)

Syrah (before Friday night)

All of Langley (ASAP)

Can you see the spider on this bunch of Syrah?

We stink, and that's a good thing.

We decided to compost all our organic harvest waste on-site this year. So there's a wild, rank stink coming from a patch of vacant land on the property.

But it's a noble smell. It's the smell of cash. We didn't have to pay to have it all hauled to the landfill by contractors and now we have some interesting 'fill' to work with.

Cool Climate Viticulture in Practice

On the last day of September of vintage 2007 the weather is slate, charcoal and death shroud grey but not yet raining. Today we intend to harvest a tiny bit of Merlot, the first red of the Township 7 vintage, from our own property. Some challenged third year vines that, despite nets, are big favourites with the robins and some smaller birds.

We had a deer kill in the vineyard the other night. Probably coyotes but with only half (front) of a carcass left by dawn there was considerable speculation about bears, cougars and wolves. Not every wine region has this range of fauna to contend with. I recall a conversation I had in New Zealand about the differences in our two regions and one of the Kiwis wondered, with the vast expanse of land in Canada, why we didn't have more sheep? I told them that the roaming carnivores would have a field day. He responded by asking, "Do you mean these animals are just running around loose?".

But I digress . . .

Growing grapes for wine north of 49 degrees will always have it's obstacles to quality. Most of the time it's going to be the short growing season. This is turning into a year where the short season is going to play a little larger than it has in the past few years when we've been treated to warmer, longer growing seasons. This is the year when things like greed (too many tons per acre) are going to turn and bite you in the ass. This is a year when heads-up, intelligent grape growing is going to win out over lassiez-faire vineyard behaviour.

Good management from the start of the season will produce exceptional wines this year. If you're waiting for Merlot to ripen at 6 tons or better then you might have some difficulty.

Weather Tanks, Grapes Arrive Anyhow

The weather tanked a few days ago an we're now experiencing some cooler than norms type days with little or no ripening temps to speak of. We've had a little light rain periodically which delays the pick but hasn't really affected the fruit.

Township 7 had tapped into a new source of Merlot. It's a nice organic vineyard in the Oliver area.

We expect to pick this around the end of September - beginning of October.

Winery Owner Exercise: Grow Some Tomatoes

The public asks a lot of questions about the vineyards. Some of the simplest queries have answers that are potentially the most profound.

"Why do you grow the vines like that?"

One of the answers is : "Because the last guy did it like that".

Truth is that a number of cultural practices are in play to achieve a common goal: control. This precept is applicable to the greater farming community and the wine business as well.

Left to their own devices, the average grape vine would simply sprawl across the ground in a haphazard way. Occasionally it would train up a tree trunk or other fixed vertical support but for the most part the vine is content to simply spread to the area of least resistance.

For somebody who needs to harvest high quality grapes this kind of vine behaviour would be a chaotic disaster. Planting a lot of vines and then being unable to tend them would result in wildly varied bunch quality and an almost impossible harvest routine.

Good vineyard management is an analogy for a good winery business. It's about good planning, research, decision making and follow through. There's no point in creating a mountain of grapes if the processing or sales contracts haven't been planned. At some point there's going to be trouble if the planning is not in place.

Let's digress and talk about tomatoes. My family and I love vine-ripened tomatoes. We also love the unusual varieties. So my son and I planned to grow a plot of tomatoes this year. We decided to begin with greenhouse starters. On our trip to the nursery I had 20 separate plants before I started to ponder the number of tomatoes that would potentially yield.

Who was going to look after these tomatoes (farmer)? Who is going to eat these tomatoes (market)? Which tomatoes will be more popular (PR)?

After some sober thought, I planted only eight different plants and we're getting just about what we want. We can manage the tomatoes we have without running around and giving them away (developing new markets) or processing them into sauce (new products) at the spur of the moment. Frankly, my time is worth more than either of those activities so the end result would be $$ out and a questionable return. Best of all, a high percentage of our tomatoes are going to be consumed fresh and not left to rot (productivity?).

Currently, there are a number of winery operations in BC experiencing growth difficulties that could probably been overcome with good planning. There is a market for quality BC-made wine but it doesn't sell itself. Failure to perform at every key stage will result in downstream problems that will either require substantial effort ($$) to correct or ultimately decide the fate of the operation.

So when you plant that vine, know what you expect, understand the steps to get there, control the growth. Try it with tomatoes in your backyard if you'd like.

Vineyard Obstacles or Challenges?

The rush to create vineyards and wineries in British Columbia has led to some polarized dialogue over the subject of suitable places to create wine.

Recent arrivals to the industry see no problem developing vineyards in locations that the previous wave of vignerons would have rejected outright.

Why the change? How do unsuitable locations suddenly become prime grape growing areas?

Part of the answer lies in economics. If a bottle of wine can sell for three times the price it was selling for only a few short years before then there is an impetus on the producer to pull out all the stops in an effort to create that wine.

I'm often asked by prospective winery owners and investors whether this portion of land or that one will be good for grapes. While I am flattered that they would ask my opinion, it's prudent to remind them that I'm not a viticulturist or a biologist or a geologist; all specializations that are valuable in choosing sites. In my short time in the business I have learned a couple things.



With that disclaimer I do offer up this: growing grapes on a commercial scale is all about minimizing and maximizing what had been dealt.



Once the decision is made to obtain land and develop a vineyard, it's important to minimize the challenges that the environment presents. It's just as important to maximize the advantages that the prospective vineyard demonstrates. Besides the obvious things like soil and sun there are other aspects like access and curb appeal that may influence production. These are economic factors that may ultimately effect the performance of the vineyard.



A while ago I heard an Okanagan grower remark, "I don't know where these new guys (wineries) are going to get their grapes; all the good land is gone." . In a conventional sense he may be close to the truth. Common practice and history are factors that define what a vineyard looks like. Under those old parameters, a lot of vineyard property is in short supply.



What new developers are beginning to see is that marginal properties are the key to new vineyards.



Marginal land can simply be described as second choice land. Something makes it less attractive and presents a challenge to the grower or the wallet when it comes to developing it as a vineyard. The trick is to see where the challenge can be met and have a vision for the outcome.



A few years ago I was told by a friend in California that a friend of his who lived in Napa was approached by a winery to plant grapes in his front yard. It was a nice property but only about 100 feet deep in the front and 70' wide. Hardly a prospective vineyard in the normal sense.

So what prompted the offer?

Were the soils exemplary?
Was he adjacent to a stellar vineyards?
Was it close to the winery's front door?

The reason was the appellation or geographical indicator. Simply being in Napa allowed the value of these grapes to be far greater than similar grapes grown in another county. The Napa brand has soared to such heights as to allow mini-vineyards and such to be feasible.

This, in a diluted form, is what is happening in the Okanagan and, to a lesser extent, the rest of B.C.

Next time somebody says you can't grow grapes in THAT location, ask about the hurdles in the path of that goal and determine what can be overcome and what can be emphasised.

Too much water? Create better drainage, enhance the soil change the aspect, modify your root stock.
Land slopes north? Change it with earth movers. Pick your varietal, modify the trellis.

Those are just a few examples. Developments in land management over the past 30 or 40 years have allowed marginal lands to become prime. Add to that the prospect of climate change and the expansion of BC vineyard operations looks to continue for some time.

Killdeer in the Vineyard

We've got a nesting pair of these in the middle of the Gewurztraminer block at Township 7 Okanagan this spring. There's four eggs in the ground nest right beside a trellis post. When we get too close in our work, the nearest adult bird puts on the traditional broken wing display in an attempt to lure us from the critical nesting area. Dead serious for the bird, very funny for the humans.

Precision Viticulture.

PV is beginning to make some waves here.
It's all about making use of some technological analyses to help a vineyard produce better grapes.
If you're not a techie (as I am not), it's a little mind-boggling the first go around.
But don't be a Luddite. Don't be afraid of the future.
Josh got into it over at Pinotblogger - read my comment and others HERE.

Vineyard Demands Take Priority

This time of the year the demands of the vineyard require certain things to be done now rather than later! Nature has a timetable and we're just following along. Here the crew works on training wire for Township 7 Okanagan.

New Winery Links

Finally catching up with my housekeeping around here and added a big whack of winery links in the sidebar.

It is by no means complete but I will keep adding the missing links as they are found.

Kim Crawford 2007 Vintage Adds Value

If you read this blog once in awhile you may recall my mentions of Scott Robinson. He's the assistant at Township 7 that I depend on for his stellar performance in the cellar and vineyard.

He has accepted a great opportunity to head down to New Zealand in a few weeks to help the Kim Crawford crew put together their 2007 crush.

Speaking from experience, I know he'll have a good time and learn a lot of wine making from one of the international stars of the New Zealand wine universe.

It's a huge opportunity and we all wish him the best. We also envy his ability to depart from our late winter/early spring and straight into late summer/ early fall.

Global Warming - Let's Just Call It Climate Change

Had a question from Paul at Inertia asking what sessions at the Unified W & G symposium I thought were best.
First I have to fully disclose that I did not attend all the sessions as I was in transit for day 1 ( Sorry, Paul) and running around Wednesday and Thursday trying to cram in as much as I could.
Second, some sessions I skipped simply because they were fairly narrow in scope. They were Californiacentric. Winery folk from outside California have to realize and accept - this is the Golden State's big show. There is an effort to cast the net of appeal wider but you still have to translate some of the data into something you can use in the jurisdiction where you make your wine.
I found the State of the Industry general session to very informative. The speakers were from diverse wine industry sectors and it was stimulating to hear their varied opinions. I'll be posting about this soon.
My favourites were the two sessions dealing with global warming. One of the take home messages was: Yes, the globe is warming and No, that doesn't mean it's going to get hot everywhere all the time.
What is does mean is that there will be some fairly rapid changes. Some places will become wetter. Some places may see wider shifts in seasonal temperature means.
Models presented by the expert speakers showed varying results but, for the most part, consistent outcomes. With a focus on western North America, for example, it would appear that an enormous section of the California's central valley will undergo "desertification" making it too hot over too long a time for all but the toughest grape varieties. Time frame? Could be as short as 30 years.
Washington State seemed to benefit most from the climate change (and BC even though the study quit at the 49th parallel). But that would hinge on other factors like pests and water.
That's right: bugs and rain.
Too much of the former and not enough of the latter.
It may get warmer and there may be more growing days but it won't be worth a thing if new pests, encouraged by the climate change, are invading new vineyards/ territory. Same goes for water. Should the climate change create extended drought conditions, access to irrigation will be essential in some areas already stressed for water supplies.
So climate change is not an 'end-of-the-world' scenario. But it will require sharp adaptive skills and canny investment practices.

Eggert/Fairview Cult Update

Good read about Fairview Cellars from the talented John Schreiner. He interviews Bill Eggert on the current status of his 2,000 case winery and vineyard. Fairview always sells out and for good reason, Bill makes excellent wine. Closest thing around here to "cult following" . . .

BC Wine Trends - Consumer Perspective

Christina Burridge, writing in Vancouver Magazine, takes a look at the trends in BC wine consumption. It's mostly good news from my standpoint.