ROBERT EDEN'S BIODYNAMIC WINE CAPSTONE
Photopgraphy: Paolo Dutto
“There is only one method of agriculture. The method that allows the farmer to produce a healthy yield in a sustainable way and then be able to sell her produce for a reasonable value that allows her to live respectably and continue to invest in bettering her ways. We must strive towards this method” Robert Eden
Robert “Bertie“ Eden is a committed pioneer and THE reference for organic and biodynamic winemaking. He is a forward-thinking icon leading to inspire widespread environmental change. His winery, Chateau Maris, “is one of the top five most environmentally friendly vineyards in the world” according to Wine Spectator.
CORNERSTONE PHASE
The Eden family is well known amongst the British High Society. Robert was born in London in April 1964. His official title is Sir Robert Eden Bt. He is the tenth Baron of West Auckland and the 8th Baron of Maryland in USA.
He is the great nephew of Robert Anthony Eden, a former British Conservative politician including Foreign Secretary in W. Churchills’ war coalition, and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in the 1950s.
Roberts’ late father Lord John Eden was a long-standing member of parliament and served many roles in different governments including minister of industry.
Robert was educated at Summerfields in Oxford and Stowe School in Buckinghamshire but, unlike his predecessors and peers, was not drawn to the world of politics, the military or further education. At the age of 17, he left what he considered an overly conservative environment to travel the world and blaze a different trail:
“The lure of the grape came through the desire to travel and the understanding that grapes grow in beautiful places around the world and that’s also where they make great wine” said Robert.
Robert did stints in the Barossa Valley, Australia, Castello dei Rampolla in Tuscany, Italy as well as Spain and California where he worked with renowned winemakers. In 1994 Robert moved to Burgundy in France to work with famous broker Becky Wasserman. His cornerstone was complete and he was ready for his own wine adventure.
In 1997, Robert, with his partner, purchased Chateau Maris in La Liviniere, the very first cru appellation of the Languedoc, at the foot of the Black Mountains… La Liviniere is considered the jewel of the Minervois (known for distinctive red wines from the western Languedoc). The Mediterranean sun and fresh wind coming from the Pyrenees make the land a unique terroir for wine growing, albeit much of the region remained untouched for ages and is still very wild. The area has a mystical aura about it. The wine is characterised by small vine plots producing Syrah, Grenache, and Carignan
ROBERT’S OWN PARADISE
“When we bought the vineyard, we wanted to make the best wines in the Languedoc while working in harmony with nature. I was / am passionate about making delicious wine from grapes grown respecting nature, enhancing live ecosystems so that they can flourish”.
Robert and his team stopped and payed special attention to the entire ecosystem of the plot. Robert quickly realised that pesticides, chemical fertilisers and over working the resources affected the balance of the biodiverse life. He needed to put nutrients back into the soil but in a natural way. This is where the importance of organic and biodynamic wine making come in.
ORGANIC AND BIODYNAMIC
The vines are cultivated without artificial fertilisers, synthetic chemicals or genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Organic culture maintains the vitality of the soil. Biodynamic culture adds vitality to the soil and goes beyond organic.
Practicing biodynamic viticulture requires you to become aware of all that is around you, not just the plant. It’s about the ecosystem and the local environment. Appreciating that everything is interconnected and interdependent. Some of the plots are ploughed with horses we plant cover crops between the rows of vines to add nutrients to the soil and biodiversity to the land. Hedges and trees have been planted between parcels to reduce further our carbon footprint.
“Organic and Biodynamic viticulture is a constant reminder that life, in all its forms, plays a role; we must respect and understand it”.
Robert strives to produce micro-organic life in the soils for the well-being of the vines:
“our actions are reflected in the wines; healthy soil makes a healthy grape and that’s when taste express itself fully”.
Robert made many changes, some small and incremental, some large. One of the larger included building a hemp cellar that passively consumes CO2 making it a carbon negative building. The cellar is made with biodegradable blocks and requires no heating or cooling and provides an ideal environment for vinification and aging wines.
Image courtesy of Peter Dean and The Buyer
“For me it is all about respecting the whole cycle and not just part of it. We have strived to consider all aspects of our impact”. Robert is always continuing to better his ways at Chateau Maris:
“We are still discovering lots of things, still continue the method, respecting the plants and giving back what we take away to create healthy fruit and wine for us all to enjoy together”
AWARDS & CERTIFICATIONS:
Chateau Maris was certified organic in 2002 by Ecocert, and was the first estate in the Minervois La Liviniere Appellation d’Origine Protegee (AOP) to be fully certified biodynamic by Biodyvin (2004) and Demeter (2008). In 2016 the estate became the first winery in Europe to be awarded B Corp status one of the most rigorous sustainability certifications in the world.. In 2020 they were re-certified, no mean feat considering each status renewal you have to prove you have made further incremental positive impact.
“It is our role to enable this ecosystem to work as effectively as nature intended because when it does, we are all able to enjoy the well-balanced, expressive and individual wines that are the result”.
Described by Chris Cree M.W. as “perhaps THE most dedicated organic/biodynamic winemaker in the world”
Wine enthusiast: “There are organic, sustainable and environmentally minded winemakers… and then there is Robert Eden”
WHAT NEXT? THE CAPSTONE PHASE…
Robert has a compelling story to tell about biodynamic viticulture and can show the steps he took to reduce the impact on the environment in his own paradise plot. He took part in the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris (COP 21) where he lectured on how to reduce negative impact on the environment and the wine industry. That saw a change for Robert to his Capstone phase.
“We have done our bit, in our paradise, in our little way but now it’s time to challenge the industry to make a larger impact”
Now Robert is challenging the rest of the wine industry to protect the environment… as there is a lot of green-washing according to Robert.
“Many winemakers are claiming to be organic and sustainable, but I can pick holes in 90% of claims by producers and marketeers”.
By 2022, the volume of wine sold is expected to be worth $32.9 billion. Yet in 2017 around 4.5% of the world’s wine grape vineyards were certified organic or biodynamic, a total of 316,000 hectares (780,520 acres) of vines.
Organic vineyards are predominantly in Europe, with 281,000 hectares giving the continent 80% of the global total, and within this 90% of Europe’s organic vineyards are found in three countries: Spain, France, and Italy. So why all the fuss? Well, in France organic wine sales have been compounding at 20% over the past seven years, Italy is growing at more than 15%, and organic wines now make up one fifth of the Swedish wine market*.
Firstly, its about telling his story and getting wine professionals (producers, investors, merchants, lobbying associations) to understand what’s possible. It’s also about making sure international distribution is aware on how it’s deploying its resource and that they are educated on what is possible for the good of all.
WORKING WITH INVIVO
Robert is partnering with the leading French agricultural cooperative group InVivo. An important player internationally present in 19 countries through over 200 member cooperatives. The group is about helping French agriculture and agricultural cooperation to regain its rightful place in the global food chain while respecting the planet and people. The group focuses on agricultural supplies, grains, seeds, plant protection, biocontrol, garden centres, food retail and most recently wine…
In 2015 the group created InVivo Wine with the aim to become a major player in the global wine business. It is comprised of nine cooperative groups, 3,600 winemakers and over 25,000 hectares of vinyards.
Robert’s focus is educating InVivo and the thousands of winemakers in the group about sustainable viticulture. With the might of the group, Robert plans on challenging the preconceptions about organic and biodynamic wines and helping growers to consider organic and biodynamic methods in winemaking and to implement them.
HELPING OTHERS
“Wine is lifestyle” says Robert.
Many people dream of owning their own vineyard, making their own wine or investing in a maker in order to have their own label. There are no shortage of celebrity oenophiles and vineyard owners: Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, Drew Barrymore, Sir Cliff Richard, Sir Ian Botham, Graham Norton, Sting, Mick Hucknall, Jack Ma, Francis Ford Coppola, Donald Trump, John Hegarty, Ernie Els, Sam Neill, Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis, Idris Elba, Post Malone, Jon Bon Jovi, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kylie Minogue, Bernard Arnault and Drew Bledsoe … to name a few!!
Many are passionate about their investment and are engaged from end to end of the process. But many sadly are not. The recent case of Cameron Diaz being a case in point in how shallow promises can be uncovered. Diaz released a wine brand called Avaline – promising it to be a ‘clean’ wine. using the new angle of wine being an unclean beverage: It was a Spanish white blend and a French rose.
“Cameron Diaz and Katherine Power were grossed out by what was in wine, so they made their own” reported/ promoted InStyle.
However, it has received quite a bit of pushback from consumers and the wine industry. As the San Francisco Chronicle reported, the product met none of the standards for natural wines:
“Don’t be fooled: The claims are a hoax at worst and ignorant at best. Avaline is no more ‘clean’ than the average bottle of wine you’d find on a grocery-store shelf”.
All of these celebrity wine capstones are missing a huge trick says Robert:
“It is one of the most amazing experiences to really stop, think, engage and immerse yourself into winemaking. Understanding the terroir, the interconnectedness of the surroundings. The craftsmanship of the expert winemaker. Yet you can have such an impact on the final product. There are such rich experiences to be had with one’s family and friends by getting involved in a project right from the start. Most importantly its about enabling the winery to live respectably and invest in better its ways. To limit or remove the impact winemaking has on our planet. In fact- we should be looking to do our bit to help regenerate and reinvigorate. You can have your own part of paradise but also bring back some of the best pleasures in life to the process. So much fun and positivity to be had in a wine project”.
Robert stared his Capstone nearly 25 years ago- way ahead of his time and his work is now considered the best practice project for biodynamic wine making. Now it’s about spreading his story and methods and inspiring others to do the same to promote widespread environmental change.
For more information on Robert see:
www.roberteden.fr Instagram @robert_Eden_ or twitter @roberteden34
and for Chateau Maris
*https://www.toptal.com/finance/market-sizing/wine-industry
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