FAQ's - Frequently Asked Questions

We commonly get asked questions about biodynamics and certification. Below are a list of questions that are frequently asked and their answers.


Why do you practice biodynamics? Does it enhance wine? We have been growing using the Biodynamic technique since 1984. Why? It makes sense, it feels good, it’s healthy and it works.
Does it enhance the wine? Well, it doesn’t bother it. If you consider that yeasts and bacteria are quite similar to moulds and mildews, and that these are (can be?) influenced by the rhythms of the moon, the sun, the near and far planets, then it can have a hell of a lot of influence on the evolution of the wine while it is being nursed in the cellar. ie. Stir the lees before the full moon and the wine clarifies more quickly and, if you want it, the malolactic fermentation will happen more quickly; rack barrels after the full moon and you get better sedimentation. Yes it could be true that the biodynamic wine is able to capture the true essence from the fruit of the vine.

Who is Dr Rudolf Steiner and what is his relationship to Biodynamics?
Dr Rudolf Steiner was a philosophist born in 1861. Many of his theories based on the ideal of a threefold social order have inspired renewal in many areas of modern life. Biodynamic agriculture began with a course of lectures requested by a group of farmers concerned about the destructive trend of "scientific" farming. Many of the principles that Steiner used are still used in biodynamic farms today.

Are all your wines organic?
All of our grapes grown and produced on the property are certified organic. We do however have a range of wines that are not organic called "The Growers Series".
This series was established to give another expression of the potential of the Gisborne winegrowing region. These conventionally grown grapes are sourced from growers, whom are members of the Sustainable Wine Growing scheme, from around the Gisborne region, and are juiced and bottled on The Millton Vineyard Premises.

Non-organic wines

Certified Organic Wines

                Chardonnay
                Pinot Noir
                Syrah
                Viognier
Where can I get Muskats @ Dawn?
Our Muskats @ Dawn has become a cult wine and incredibly popular. Consequently we have expanded our supply to quality wine stores through out New Zealand. Click here for the current list.

Where can I get your range of Clos de Ste. Anne wines?
Clos de Ste. Anne is our premium range of wines, which come from a very special vineyard on the slopes of the Poverty Bay hills, called Naboths Vineyard. This range of wines is a tribute to my wife, Annie. Clos de Ste. Anne is avaliable in selected restaurants around New Zealand, and is also avaliable internationally.
Clos de Ste Anne is also available online.
Do your wines contain preservatives?
Yes, only sulphur dioxide (preservative 220). We want the wine to stand up against the test of time and travel. We, therefore, use sulphite to protect the natural flavour and colour (as has been practised since Roman times) but are very careful to add the absolute minimum that we can, and no wine should contain more than 150-mg/litre total Sulphur dioxide. Certified organic wine standards allow the use of Sulphur dioxide up to 50% of the levels of conventional wine. Red wines and older wines will have lower levels of free suphur dioxide.

What is it that Biodynamic growers do, that other growers don't?
In conventional agriculture and horticulture, the grower often thinks about feeding the plant. Biodynamic agriculture, by contrast, sets out to feed the soil, and the soil organisms. It treats the soil as a living medium, one where living creatures can process organic and mineral matter that make them available to plants. A report from the Biodynamic conference is avaliable on our web site for further information
How do you fight diseases/pests in the vineyards?
For the control of fungus and vine health we use limited amounts of Copper and Sulphur. To complement this we use waterglass, seaweed extract and vegetable oils. We also use bentonite and stinging nettle and other herbal extracts (wormwood, pyrethrum and garlic).
To bring insects into balance we use vegetable oil, soft soaps, kieselgur, and mixtures of manure, blood and bentonite. We also use homeopathic remedies for crawling insects. Most importantly we use the Biodynamic preparations to enhance life and the environmental systems.
Our climate is temperate and mild in winter. The summers are hot and sometimes quite humid which puts great pressure on our vineyard husbandry. No artificial fertilisers are used. Instead we use compost (from the marc and cattle waste) together with rock dust preparations. Weed control is by mechanical means.

Why do you bury cows horns?
The Millton Vineyard carry out many of the Biodynamic preparations needed to control disease and weeds in the vineyard. We have our own small herd of Red Angus (refered to as 'Jame's Girls') whom play an important roll to the control in vineyard. Burying cow horns filled with fresh cow manure is one of the many biodynamic preparation that we make on the property. Horn manure is made by putting cow manure in a cow's horn, and overwintering it below ground. When the horns are dug up in the spring, the cow dung has changed into a pleasant smelling, highly colloidal material. Its respiration rate (the amount of oxygen it consumes) can be very high, in turn showing that it has a high level of biological activity. Other tests have shown that during the overwintering, the faecal bacteria are almost entirely replaced by humus forming bacteria. Biodynamic horn manure is applied to the farm or garden once, or preferably twice a year. After two or three applications over a period of eighteen months or so, the grower usually notices striking changes to the soil. They include a larger number of earthworms; deeper rooting of grasses; more numerous clover nodulations; improved crumb structure; and the worms active to a greater depth; bringing sub-soil up into the upper horizons. Eventually this may result in a greater depth of topsoil.

Are your wines more expensive because they are organic?
Our wines are very reasonably priced considering that they are some of the original Biodynamically grown wines in the world. However what ever the price it is not a great deal to pay for your "good health"

How important is certification?
Certification gives the consumer reassurance that they are consuming products that are free of harmful residues. The simple act of certification give the consumer a choice because without it, the option does not exist.

Who regulates organic wine making in NZ?
Organic wine growing is regulated by Bio-Gro New Zealand , who is the certifying body for oganic producers, and is supported with the use of the trademark Bio-Gro. Their strict standards are audited and recognised by IFOAM (International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements).

Are organic wines better quality than non-organic wines?
It is quite clear that, if the desire is to make the best possible wine, or juice, you have to grow the best possible grapes. Time is proving that if you want the best grapes they must be grown organically; better still Biodynamically. In order to capture the natural, uninterrupted flavours from the grape’s ether, the process of budding, growing, flowering, setting fruit and maturing this fruit, should be without contamination of the vines sap and the resulting grapes juice.

Do you use cork or stelvin seals?
I am not convinced with the screwcap. The only given is that the screwcap requires little effort or satisfaction to open and they are not prone to cork taint. But it doesn't end there.
We use either natural cork and stelvin depending on the style of the wine.

Varieties under high quality natural cork:      
Varieties under Stelvin (for floral white wine & summer wine):  
Why do you use natural cork and/or stelvin?
Because we wish to use screw caps (stelvin) with the aromatic and fruity style wines, and natural cork with styles that have been barrel fermented.

Do your wines contain animal products? If so what do they contain?
Some of our wines  have been fined with animal products in the course of normal wine-making practise. These products, such as trim milk or egg whites may be residual in the wine in trace amounts. Our wines that have been fined with animal products are labelled accordingly. Check here for our Animal Products Guide that specify which wines are suitable for vegetarians and vegans.


What fining agents do you use and why?
Demand has it that we are sometimes obliged to use casein or isinglass to soften and balance the palate.
All wines are fined with bentonite for protein stability. (Bentonite, yeast and kieselgur lees go back on the vineyard as a vine paste or into the compost). All wines are cold sterile bottled on the premises and aged for a period of time in bins before being prepared for labelling and dispatch. 

Where can I find more information on biodynamics and grape growing?
Below is a list of references commonly used at The Millton Vineyard
Wine and Vineyard related reading

If we have not answered you question please contact us and we will answer as best as we can.