Voodoo Vintners

Could cow horns, vortexes, and the words of a prophet named Rudolf Steiner hold the key to producing the most alluring wines in the world—and to saving the planet?

In Voodoo Vintners, wine writer Katherine Cole reveals the mysteries of biodynamic winegrowing, tracing its practice from Paleolithic times to the finest domaines in Burgundy today. At the epicenter of the American biodynamic revolution are the Oregon winemakers who believe that this spiritual style of farming results in the truest translations of terroir and the purest pinot noirs possible.

Cole introduces these “voodoo vintners,” examining their motivations and rationalizations and explaining why the need to farm biodynamically courses through their blood. Her engaging narrative answers the call of oenophiles everywhere for more information about this “beyond organic” style of winemaking.

Download an excerpt from Voodoo Vintners.

“The fundamentals of biodynamic agriculture are these: Time farming decisions according to the movements of the moon and stars in the sky. Use the raw materials on your property to nourish your crops. Protect nature, which in return will protect your harvest. And, in doing all these things, harness the spiritual forces of the heavens. Some of these maxims might sound unusual to us, but the fact is that humans have been raising crops this way since the dawn of civilization.”