Within Germany’s 102,000 hectares of vineyards a mere handful are certified organic and 50 hectares of those are in the hands of the delightful Alex Pfluger. Alex only took over the reins of the family estate in 2010 following his studies at Geisenheim and spells in Burgundy, California and Australia, but he has already expanded production significantly and his commitment both to quality and environmental sensitivity has seen his reputation spread across the planet.
It would be easy to dismiss biodynamics as some sort of quasi-astrological mumbo jumbo with all the talk of “following the phases of the moon” and subordinating to planetary forces, but that would be to ignore the evidence that thousands of growers across the world provide through ranges of wines that consistently rate amongst the best in their class. Much of the philosophy is pretty straightforward and understandable stuff – encouraging biodiversity, eschewing the use of chemicals and maintaining low yields, but added to that, Alex is providing “bed and board” to a range of local fauna through the construction of a “bug hotel.”
It’s probably best if I leave the explanation to him….Alex Pfluger explains
You really should have been there………………
There are tastings and then there are tastings and last month we served up the most phenomenal Italian Masterclass in the company of Michael Palij, Master of Wine, who steered us through some of his most recent discoveries (notably a Sardinian quartet which provided all the evidence you need of the revolution taking place in the island’s vineyards and cellars).