Paula Goddard

Biodynamics is the new buzz-word in wine making, as I explain in my weekly Drink Up column on livingit.com, and French wine producer Nicolas Joly of Coulée de Serrant vineyard is one of the strongest advocates of this super-organic growing system. In his new book What Is Biodynamic Wine?: The Quality, the Taste, the Terroir, Joly explains that only by putting back into the soil everything nature produces, and I mean everything, can vines can grow and wine be made in harmony with the earth’s rhythms.

Reclaimed wastewater - domestic wastewater that has been filtered, treated and disinfected - is healthier for vines than fresh mains water according to a new study by The South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI). They found that soil irrigated with reclaimed water had fewer harmful pathogens and higher microbial activity than soil watered with mains water in a McLaren Vale vineyard.

Installing a wine rack in his shed will now be top of Glyn Harrison’s list of jobs to do at his Griffithstown allotment. Winning Best Shed category in the National Allotments Week’s (13th - 19th August) competitions, Glyn accepted bottles of Chilean sponsors Caliterra Merlot and Sauvignon Blanc wine as part of his prize.

Italian scientists have discovered music helps grow healthier plants. The classical music of Mozart, Haydn, Vivaldi and Mahler relayed from an iPod to vines through 15 speakers was found to have a positive effect on shoot growth. Sangiovese grapes growing near the speakers had a greater number of leaves per vine than those growing in a silent area of the Tuscan vineyard Il Paradiso di Frassina.