Winemaking By The Stars

Nicolas Joly is one of France's most polemical vignerons and one of its best: his Coulée de Serrant, from a plot first tended by Cistercian monks in the 12th century, ranks among the world's top whites. NEWSWEEK's Jonathan Kent spoke with Joly about his new book advocating "biodynamic" growing methods:

What is biodynamic viticulture?
[It's] organic farming taken further. Not only do we reject chemicals ... we'll follow the movements of the stars, so if the moon is in a particular constellation, it may be a good time for weeding or spraying. [These are] principles that the great botanists of 400 years ago would have been familiar with.

Why did you adopt this method?
When I took over the vineyard from my mother, I followed modern farming methods for two years, using herbicides, pesticides and chemical fertilizers, and I could really see that I was destroying the place ... My vineyard has a long and unusual history, [and] I felt that the place deserved something special.

What is happening to mainstream wine?
[Postwar growers] were made many promises by the chemical companies. But now they have high yields and higher profits, but the quality of the juice is so bad that they rely on technology to put something drinkable into a glass.

© 2008