Biodynamic Wine: A Trip for the Mind & Palate

PHOTO COURTESY OF EMILIANA ORGANIC & BIODYNAMIC VINEYARDS

I hear you. You might be sick and tired of people saying, organic this or non-GMO that. Or how pesticides are killing the honeybees, getting in our livers, and causing cancers, autoimmune diseases, and autism.

But it's true, it's happening, and we need to do something about it. So now I’m about to mention something that you may have never heard before:  a farming practice called biodynamics.  

The practice is entirely fascinating, and takes organic farming to a whole new level.  The essence of biodynamics is that the As seen in Women's Lifestyle Magazine, April 2013 Editionfarm is not just a farm. It’s an organism that is completely self-sustaining, producing its own animal feed and manure, and supports a diverse ecosystem of predator, prey, bird and insect populations. Much like oriental medicine sees the human body as a holistic system, biodynamic farming views plant or animal disease as a symptom of an imbalance in the whole farm, not a single problem to be cured with a “drug”.  Get this:  the farm can also be in or out of balance with the cycles of the moon and planets.  

There is a time to reap, and a time to sow. There is a proper balance of soil and rotation of crops. The plants, animals, the soil and even the farmer are all part of the bigger whole. The same cosmic page. On the same, crazy, tree-hugging trip.

Nutty Idea?  Brilliant?  Or Simply Practical?

PHOTO COURTESY OF EMILIANA ORGANIC & BIODYNAMIC VINEYARDS
Before you dismiss biodynamics as a nutty idea, let’s discuss wine.  In 2004, Fortune Magazine put together a panel of wine experts to test the claims of biodynamic wines. The test was blind, so they had no idea what they were testing. They found that the biodynamic mix of homeopathy, astrology and organic grape growing, produces a better product than regular ‘ole grape growing does. 

Here’s an excerpt from that article:

“Out of ten pairs of wines, only one of the conventionally made wines was judged superior to its biodynamic counterpart. Says Doug Frost, a Master of Wine and Master Sommelier: "The biodynamic movement seems like latent '60s acid-trip-inspired lunacy--until you taste the wines." “

~Taken from:  “Moonshine, Part 2: A blind sampling of 20 wines shows that biodynamics works. But how?”

Is there a Better Way?

Austrian philosopher Dr. Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925) is credited as being the founder of biodynamic farming, and inspires a certain amount of controversy because of some of his ideas.  But it leaves one to wonder if he isn’t just another brilliant guy who is bringing us back to the laws of physics that existed long before the modern manipulation of the planet. It also leaves us to wonder how much human disease there would be if we listened a little more to how the earth wants to be treated, rather than try to pound the bugs, plants and animals into submission.

OK. Back to wine. Biodynamic wine is becoming more popular. Experts agree that when you get a truly biodynamic wine, you know that it is made without pesticides or chemical processing, and that you will most likely taste the flavors, smell the aromas, and feel the textures of the area where the grapes are grown, or what they call the “terroir.”

One of my favorite vineyards to watch and learn from has been Emiliana Vineyards in Chile.  They produce biodynamic and organic wines. They post pictures on Facebook that are simply stunning.  They also produce a mighty fine drink that is reasonably priced.  You can find one of their brands, Natura Wine, at different specialty stores in Michigan.  You can read more about them at:  http://www.emiliana.cl/organic-biodynamic/

BI-MOO-DYNAMICS

PHOTO COURTESY OF EMILANA ORGANIC & BIODYNAMIC VINEYARDS
Another area where biodynamics is practiced is in raising cattle. I had the opportunity to speak to La Cense Beef in Montana last year and to learn a ton about grass fed meat, as well as organic and biodynamic farming. More on this later, too. In the meantime, you can learn more about La Cense here:  http://www.lacensebeef.com.

Biodynamic winemakers and farmers are true artists that help bring out the most wonderful subtle, sumptuous flavors.  Flavor brings us so much joy when we drink and eat.  Joy, my friends, is essential to life and health.

About the Author

Owner of Blue Pearl Strategies, Elisabeth is also The Tender Foodie. She started this blog and The Tender Palate, to help those food allergies and sensitivities.

Sleeping Bear Dunes. The Most Beautiful Place & Great Food Artisans

The most beautiful place in U.S.?  Sleeping Bear Dunes in Michigan won this Good Morning America contest today.  Why am I so excited?  Two reasons.  Sleeping Bear is in my now home state, and I'm planning a trip.  The other reason is that Chef Mario Batali spends his summers on the Leelanau Pennisula and his love of the area's food artisans is quite an endorsement.  Chef Batali serves gluten-free pasta in his restaurants in New York and is proving to be a Tender Friendly chef (so we love him even more).  You might catch him dining at Hearth & Vine located on the Black Star Farms estate - a restaurant he describes as his "favorite".  Black Star Farms uses local vendors and has a beautiful winery, three tasting rooms and an inn.   If you would like to try something lovely and a little unusual, try their pear wine or their fruit brandies.  I purchased mine at G.B. Russo & Son.  The Leelenau Pennisula (map) is the home to all of this magic, and it is also the largest cherry growing region in the world.

Great things can happen when a community loves and respects the natural resources that surround them.  Congratulations, Sleeping Bear!

Read the entire article on the ABC News website.

Download "10 Places Not to Miss in Sleeping Bear".

Read George Aquino's article on great things to do if you fly into Grand Rapids before driving up the coast.

Gluten-free Beer & My Quest for "Yes"

Food allergies can take the fun right out of food. 

So, on my birthday (Tuesday, May 17, mark your calendars), I decided to finally try a gluten-free beer.  I hadn't tasted a beer for nearly 10 years, so I was hesitant and a little excited.  It actually felt naughty.   I am becoming so used to "NO" and "CAN'T" that choosing to drink a beer actually felt like I was jumping out of an airplane, not just tossing back a little beverage with a friend. 

I took the leap and had a Redbridge. 

When gluten-free beer first came onto the market, it got less than stellar reviews.  In fact, the feedback was that gluten-free beer wasn't worth drinking, even if that was the last booze on earth.   As time has passed, however, the reviews have improved, but I still didn't holler, "Barkeep!"  What inspired me that night was the bartender at The Winchester.   She said, "We have gluten-free beer, you wanna try it?"  At that moment, she became a co-conspirator in my Quest for Yes.

I was pleasantly surprised.  Redbridge was good.  My beer drinking friend even liked it.  It was familiar and had a sweetness that made me instantly think,  "how refreshing this would be on a hot summer's day."

Redbridge is made from sorghum, a gluten-free grain that is best when toasted before cooking.  It is used in hot cereals, ground into flour for baking or popped like popcorn.  It, along with millet and other grains can be brewed into gluten-free beer.  And in my research for this article, I discovered that honey and bananas could also be used for that once-forbidden brew.  Who knew?

The Great Gluten-Grain Debate

There are several gluten-free beers out there that use barley or other gluten-containing grains.  According to certain brewers, distillers and even some celiac experts, the distillation and brewing processes remove the protein from gluten grains, making it "safe".  But other experts disagree, saying you can't rely on this.  Plus, there is no standard set by the FDA on what really constitutes a "gluten-free" product.  This includes alcohol.

For me, I do not react well to gluten grain alcohols, so I am in the camp that avoids those religiously.  Now that there are several beers (without any gluten-containing grains) that are worth a try, I am a little farther in my quest for "yes".

Gluten-free Beers that Use NON-gluten Grains. 

Have you tried them?  What's your favorite?

Redbridge:  Made from sorghum.

Bard's Tale Beer:  It advertises that it is 100% gluten-free malted sorghum.

New Grist Gluten-Free Beer:  Made from sorghum and rice.

Sprecher Mbege:  made from bananas, millet and sorghum in the tradition of East Africa.  This beer sparks my curiosity.  "Originally conceived of in an effort to provide a traditional African style beer for Milwaukee's African World Festival, our Mbege and Shakparo have won the hearts of people here at the brewery and have been promoted to year round beer status."

Sprecher Shakparo:  made from sorghum and millet.  "Sprecher's gluten free Shakparo Ale is a West African Shakparo-style beer brewed from sorghum and millet. An unfiltered, light, crisp ale with a cider or fruit profile and a dry vinous aftertaste, it is best characterized as an easy-drinking or session beer perfect for summer gatherings."

Ramapo Valley Honey Beer:   is made mainly from honey.  Another intriguing beer on my list to try.  "Molasses is used for flavor, nutrients and color. Bright golden in color, the taste naturally has notes of honey and hop. Noble hops add a touch of bitterness to balance the honey sweetness. This beer is Kosher certified for Passover."

Les Bierres Nouvelle France:  is a micro brewery in France that uses the assay Elisa process to test for the presence of gluten in their gluten-free beer.  They have three:

• Messagère is "a limpid and crystalline pale ale, with a bouquet of honey, reminding a touch of citrus fruits. Gluten-free beer"
• Messagère Red Ale is a gluten free rice and buckwheat beer with "a delicate, woodsy taste".
• Messagère Millet is a gluten free malted millet lager beer.

 
I'm inspired to try more.  Are you?

Update on Thursday, June 23, 2011 at 1:36PM by Elisabeth Veltman, The Tender Foodie

CORRECTION:   The Les Messagere Factory is in Quebec, Canada, not France.  Thanks to a reader for this correction.

Power Chicks & Lemon Chicken

Photo taken by Lisa Visbeen Lehmann of Studio Jewel

Brainstorm Party

Sometimes you need a little extra IQ.  A shot of cool, quick inspiration.  A few of the best peops in your corner. 

Since The Tender Palate is a budding business, I can use as many healthy brain cells as I can get.  So I brushed off my rusty entertaining skills, dished up a light supper for a few new power chick friends and “experimented” on them with a totally gluten- and dairy-free menu.  These fun and generous women agreed to help me jump-start a couple of ideas, so I made a variety of dishes that were fairly well-practiced.  I use the word “experiment”, because I’m always curious to see how the palates of people without food allergies react to alternative ingredients.  

We met at one of my favorite event venues, the historic The Leonard at Logan House.  A couple of bottles of Natura Organic Wine added just a teensy-weensy bit of creativity as well.  Both the cabernet sauvignon and the gewürztraminer got rave reviews.  I usually prefer red, but that evening, I tried the white and stuck with it.  I loved the Gewurztraminer’s unusual and pleasant mix of dry and sweet.  I could even taste the promised hint of jasmine.  I think it is my new favorite white (and “gewürztraminer” is really fun to say.)  The cabernet drinkers were especially happy when alternating bites of chocolate truffle with sips of the deep, toasty red.  

The "No Men" Menu

Although no men  were invited to this particular party (next time I'll do an ALL MEN Menu), I threw a bone to equality by serving the same number of dessert items as savory-type dishes.  Because when it comes to chocolate . . . baby, there ain’t no glass ceiling. 

My unsuspecting power chicks were not aware, however, that many of the yummy ingredients in each dish were also power foods.  Here’s the menu plus a little of the moxie behind it. 

Recipe: Cilantro-Lemon Chicken Strips (RECIPE COMING SOON)

*cilantro is purported to be anti-bacterial, there are theories that it can attach to and remove heavy metals from the body (like mercury), and is thought to also balance blood sugar.

Recipe:  Grown-Up Chili

*Lycopene is an anti-oxidant that is thought to reduce the incidence of cancer.  The lycopene in tomatoes is activated best when cooked.

Recipe:  Ina Garten’s Grapefruit/Avocado Salad
               (I also added blanched asparagus to the dish)

               Link to Ina's original recipe

*Adding more lycopene to the dinner is the wonderful and sweet red grapefruit.  A healthy fat, like the avocado in this salad, is the lycopene activator for the grapefruit.  And with the Dijon vinaigrette, the two taste incredible together. 

*Asparagus is high in folate (6 spears contain almost ½ the recommended daily intake), Vitamin C, potassium and antioxidants.  The dijon vinagrette liked the asparagus, too.

Recipe:  Almond Cognac Truffles (RECIPE COMING SOON)

Recipe:  Simply Coconut Chocolate Truffles 

Recipe:  Candied Orange Peels

*Chocolate (particularly dark, minimally processed chocolate) contains flavanols and oleic acid both thought to have healthy effects on your heart.

Natura Organic Gewurztraminer 2010

Natura Organic Cabernet Sauvignon 2009

*Red wine is also full of heart-healthy flavanoids.  Of course, doctor’s orders, moderation and other such laws of your own personal health trump any information given here. 

My Warmest Thanks 

As suspected, it turned out to be a really great evening with great conversation.  If you have an idea that needs some kicking around, try throwing a brainstorm party – and drop me a note to tell me how it went!

Warmest thanks to my power chicks for the evening: 

Kelly Jansens Boos of Green Dog Pet Accessories   & Black Dog Productions, LLC 

Jennifer Phillips Wilson of Grand Development Associates, LLC.

Lisa Visbeen Lehmann of Studio Jewel  

Thanks again to Dave Russo of G.B. Russo & Son for recommending these great wines.