Rosarubra Winery and the biodynamic production

Yes to Biodynamic but consciously

Good morning everyone! I am Andrea Anselmino. I graduated from the Faculty of Viticulture and Oenology in Milan. It has just been a year since I have opened my Instagram page @thewinesouls_, where I write and talk about wine and wineries and what they give me at an emotional level.

It was also thanks to Instagram that I found out about Rosarubra Cantine. As soon as I got in touch with this winery, it gave me such strong emotions: its biodynamic wines amazed me sip by sip and made me want to try them all.

That’s right! Today I am going to talk about biodynamic!

Biodynamic and Rosarubra Winery

To better understand what biodynamic means, you have to dive into this world and embrace this concept.

Care and protection of nature and its lands have always been at the core of Rosarubra Winery way of thinking. Its goal is to produce wines marked by its distinct personalities and to make the best out of raw materials at its disposal.

Thanks to this Winery, I got the chance, day by day, to get closer to and better comprehend this philosophy and the value of these wines.

What does it mean to produce a biodynamic wine?

It is not a matter of market choices or marketing strategy. It is instead a life choice, a philosophy to nourish and embrace.

Wine production is a big deal. To make a good wine takes a lot of effort, and one must take into account many patterns and possibilities since wine is not just a drink made out of grapes. It is soil, tradition, passion, philosophy, and a story to tell through the magic of a bottle.

The biodynamic principles

The Biodynamic agriculture is based on the principles carried out in the 1920s by Rudolf Steiner the founder of anthroposophy.

[ That which is above is like to that which is below, and that which is below is like to that which is above – Tabula Smaragdina, Ermete Trismegisto ]

At the root of anthroposophy is the fundamental conviction that by paying more attention to astrological influences on plants and soil, it is possible to recreate the right relationship between them and ensure that biological germination, growth and maturation processes are in a closer connection with nature. This way, plants would better express their potential, achieving maturity of grapes thanks to a mineral-rich soil, climate of the harvest and varietal qualities of grapes.

How do you work in biodynamic?

In this kind of agriculture, farmers use biodynamic preparations for soil care: mixtures made of natural and organic materials, which enhance the proper growth of plants and preserve their characteristics.

For instance, horn manure 500 is a preparation that enhances humus formation, while horn silica 501 acts as light and heat stimulator.

Even in the care of vines, biodynamic prefers not to fight against diseases. On the contrary, it tries to trigger mechanisms which can develop the necessary healthy and balanced state. Hence, overturning the logic of modern industrial agriculture that mainly uses antiparasitics, pesticides and antibiotics.

Biodynamic techniques

The production of biodynamic wines is, therefore, a set of factors that start in the vineyard and go from the choice of cultivation techniques (by limiting the use of tractors, sowing green manure and avoiding the use of pesticides), up to the oenological practices of vinification and ageing.

As a matter of fact, fermentation of wines is obtained without adding external yeasts but using only those already present on the grapes of the vineyards. The use of sulphur dioxide is very limited.

Lastly, during the different phases of cultivation of plants, decanting and bottling of wine, the lunar calendar is followed for the choice of the different timings.

Cerasuolo D’Abruzzo DOC

Rosarubra winery has made of this philosophy a real lifestyle, where the way of working, observing, living the earth and producing revolve around the concept of harmony and protection of nature and its vitality.

A perfect example is Cerasuolo D’Abruzzo, a young and crisp wine, but at the same time having very important and interesting characteristics, with a brilliant and bright red colour, while at the nose it explodes its intense strawberry smell, accompanied by hints of fresh red berries, ripe sour cherries and cherry flowers.

Wine Fact Sheet.