Demeter Certification Yields Valuable Lessons

Last week we had our Biodynamic certification inspections for our vineyard and winery.  This year we included Meredith Mitchell Vineyard as well and hope that our 2019 wines from that vineyard will bear the Demeter Biodynamic logo.  Our preparation at Winderlea is led by Macy Ewen with a strong assist by Emily Terrell, our Associate Winemaker.  So while an inspection feels a bit like a test, I’m always confident we are ready.  In reality, the inspection process is a great learning experience.  Not only do we spend the day walking our inspector through our vineyard management and winemaking processes (and answering his questions), at the end of the day we have what amounts to a debrief with the inspector where he shares his insights from the day.  Oftentimes, this means we have to gather additional documentation, but it always means we are going to gain valuable information about how we can improve our practices. -Bill Sweat, Proprietor