Farming in the 21st Century
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Chris Turyk - I love wine, a lot. I’m a Certified Sommelier, WSET Diploma graduate, and get in everyones way at unsworthvineyards.
umans revel in the ability to categorize expansive topics into clean little boxes. Certifications exist showing consumers that farm production methods follow established criteria judged at a higher environmental standard than that status quo conventional farm. Well intentioned though they are, perhaps they run the risk of eroding potential for uncertified growers to express the positive impact their practices have. The silent salesman stamp on the back label can never do justice in expressing the efforts farmers make in crafting the best possible product. Borrowing a political analogy, the far right represents some of the largest companies on the planet, whom all but control the commodity wine trade. Swing over to the idealist left where we celebrate connection to nature, are in touch with lunar cycles, apply homeopathic remedies and endure mountains of physical work. Where does that leave the majority of those who are left of centre? After all, in that cohort, generally the most interesting solutions originate. Without colourfully
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extolling the benefits of a vineyards’ recent conversion to Demeter Certified Biodynamics, expressing farming techniques to the well read wine drinker is daunting. Contrary to popular belief, agricultural practices are not a pyramid with Biodynamics resting above Organics with lutte raisonnée below followed by conventional agriculture pulling up the rear. Purchasing a bottle of wine that doesn’t degrade our planet doesn’t mean choosing Biodynamics or nothing. Advances in equipment and technology, next to vineyard sprays, represent the least sexy part of wine. They also represent the future of viable viticulture. Sprayers are not all created equally. During visits to any agricultural region, all witness sprayers in operation. A visible plume of vapour blasting up from the middle of a row may solidify the image. This illustrates a substandard sprayer in dire need of retirement. The plume only visible because the spray, whether kelp or a systemic botrytis spray, is being applied everywhere but on the plant where needed. The best sprayers on the market straddle the canopy, have ultra fine nozzles which lightly and evenly coat the desired area. Many feature a vacuum on the opposing side filtering and reusing any excess spray which may permeate the canopy. When I read, “farmed using traditional practices” and other such vague claims on a back label, I don’t envision horns of silica and manure, or dynamizing Equisetum arvense. I picture an ancient tractor burning oil while indiscriminately blasting broad spectrum sprays
