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After 15 years of beating the biodynamic drum in British Columbia, Gabriel and Ezra Cipes share with us the family's vision of farming and community and what they have learned from experience.
If you do nothing but watch the first minute of the video and listen to Gabriel Cipes' aria about what it means to consume a biodynamic wine, you will know all you need to know about the Cipes family and their conviction about going organic and biodynamic and taking the valley with them on the journey.
We follow Gabriel as he walks the "farm," quietly explaining the many interconnected systems they have spawned to enrich the soil and be fully in harmony with nature. Next, we discuss the pillars of biodynamics, such as composting, biodiversity and animals. Then, in our conversations with Ezra and winemaker Michael Alexander, we learn about the differences between biodynamic and organic growing and how intention differs between biodynamic and conventional farmers. We also ask the question, whether biodynamic wines trump the organic version. The answer might surprise you.
If the benefits of buying organic food are generally accepted, the same value does not seem to transfer to wine purchases, at least not yet. However, convincing the world to slow down and retune to Mother Nature's way is not an easy task. While biodynamic growing has long been considered esoteric wisdom, possibly because it's laced with mysticism and cosmic connections, our goal with the help of the Cipes family was to remove a bit of the mystery without removing the magic.
Related:
Gerard Bertrand: Be the Change (Story & video)
Alois Lageder: An Italian Adventure - Alto Adige (Story & video)
