Ivo Jeramaz, vice president of vineyards and production at Grgich Hills Cellar, went to his great-uncle, Miljenko ("Mike") Grgich, and told him about a lecture he had attended on biodynamic farming. It was, he told him, like going back to what our grandfathers did, farming without chemicals and pesticides.

"It took only five minutes to convince Mike," Jeramaz said. "His grandfather did natural farming, and he (Grgich) was never convinced about (what we call) conventional farming."

That was in 2002. At the end of the harvest that year, Grgich Hills converted 20 acres in its Yountville vineyard over to biodynamic farming, and, Jeramaz said, "(later) we could see in the vineyard that there was no detriment in using biodynamics," although it was too early to see any benefits. The next year the total was raised to 105 acres, then to 257 acres, and now all 366 acres of the five estate vineyards are farmed biodynamically.

"I learned early that you need good grapes to make good wine," he said. "I refocused from winemaking to working with the land." By using biodynamics, he hopes to achieve healthier plants and improve the terroir. "How can you talk about terroir if the soil is dead," he said.

As a result Grgich Hills has developed a philosophy about biodynamic farming - it creates healthier vines and more authentic wines, it is a truer expression of terroir, it connects with the land and it is sustainable for the environment.

Vineyard longevity

"It (biodynamics) will give the vineyard longevity," Jeramaz said. "Here (in Napa Valley) we're lucky if we get 40 to 50 years in a vineyard. I've seen 10- and 15-year-old vineyards being pulled. Because of bad farming, they weakened the plant. I'm convinced that (our) vineyards will be producing to the age of 80." He pointed out that a vine in Grgich Hills' Calistoga vineyard is 110 years old.

"It's common sense agriculture," he said. "It's not cutting-edge technology. It's just going back to what three or four generations (before) did. We depend so much on machines that we forgot about nature."

Biodynamic farming, developed by Austrian scientist Rudolf Steiner in 1924, is fully organic in that it uses no artificial fertilizer, pesticides or fungicides, but it goes even further than organics, stressing energy and balance in the soil. It attempts to bring the vine into balance with the earth, helping the earth develop the necessary nutrients and microbial life in a form the vine can use when it needs it, according to information prepared by Grgich Hills.

Biodynamics works with soil

"In biodynamics we work with the soil," Jeramaz said. "Soil is living. The plant is in control of what it takes. In organic and conventional farming, they force feed plants," adding that in organic farming (natural) fertilizer is used, while in conventional farming, chemicals can be used.

"When you use fertilizer, the roots become lazy and they go only two feet deep. It's like growing (the vine) in a tub. The energy goes into shoots and leaves, not into the grapes, and that's why you still have green flavors, even at 25 Brix."

Although soils from both organic farming and biodynamic farming are considered better for vine health than soil maintained by conventional farming, biodynamics is said to create more macro nutrients such as potassium, phosphorus and magnesium deeper in the soil than straight organic farming.

"Biodynamics is the most holistic way of farming," he said. He explained that biodynamic farming uses nine different "preparations," each of which has distinct properties and has a different use. A miniscule amount of each is taken, mixed with water and then sprayed over the soil.

A cow's horn?

Perhaps the most often talked-about preparation is the one in which a cow's horn is filled with cow manure, then is buried in the soil over the winter. It undergoes a chemical process (likened to fermentation of wine) and when used, promotes root activity, stimulates microbial activity increases beneficial bacteria growth, regulates lime and nitrogen content and aids in the release of trace elements.

Why the cow's horn? According to a brochure distributed by Grgich Hills, in an ideal biodynamic environment, everything is balanced - animals, plants and minerals. Each contributes physical qualities and energy, and because grapegrowers cannot rotate crops to energize the soil or allow animals to roam through the vineyards, it is necessary to introduce the animal element in other ways. In addition to the cow's horn, other elements used include stags' bladders, cows' intestines, skulls of domestic animals and the lining of cows' abdominal cavities. The "container" helps to draw out the beneficial properties of the preparation.

Each of the preparations has a specific use. One, using flower heads of chamomile stuffed into a cow's intestine, is applied to compost and stabilizes nitrogen and increases microbial life. Another, tea made from the horsetail plant, is used as a spray to counter fungal diseases.

Grgich Hills doesn't make the preparations - it purchases them from an organization that specializes in that.

Using the moon's influence

Jeramaz said the moon also has a huge influence over plants. "The full moon brings fertility and water," he said. "The earth can be more effective if it's in rhythm."

The Grgich Hills brochure points to the effect the moon has on the oceans' tides and on people - "the word 'lunatic' derives from 'luna' (moon) because of the moon's effect on human behavior" - and also mentions circadian rhythms, a human's biological clock that is attuned to the earth's rotation. "Plants, too, follow natural cycles," the brochure said. "By understanding these, we are able to determine the best time to plant, prune, water and harvest to ensure the optimum health of the plant and the highest quality grapes."

This philosophy is carried further in biodynamics by applying the four states of matter - earth relates to roots, light to flowers, heat to fruit and water to leaves. They rotate among being dominant, usually for two-day periods, and Grgich Hills found that the best time to plant the preparation with manure in a cow's horn was during an "earth" day, and that when fruit was harvested during a "water" day, the juice was less concentrated.

Jeramaz said that next year the winery will probably place a reference to the wine being made from biodynamically-farmed grapes on the back labels.

Positive reaction

What's the reaction from consumers and the trade? "It's mostly positive," Jeramaz said. "Most people are conscientious about the quality of produce," but they tend to equate biodynamics with organic.

"We spend $10 billion a year on vitamins and supplements, and all of them are (already) found in fruits and vegetables," he said. "But most fruit is grown today for size, not for nutritional value."

Another difference between conventional farming and biodynamic farming is that the conventional way is concerned with yields, while the biodynamic method is looking for quality, he said.

What effect does biodynamics have on production? Grgich Hills' production is down 30 percent since starting biodynamic farming, but quality is up, Jeramaz said. "We now average about three tons per acre, but we are getting great natural wines."

Jeramaz acknowledged that biodynamic farming costs about 10 percent more than organic methods, but said that's mostly in the initial cost. "But in the long run, it's going to be cheaper, because we won't have to replant," he said.

Will biodynamics catch on with other grape growers? "I think we're the only (large) one in Napa Valley that is 100 percent biodynamic," he said. "We started it because we truly believe (in it). Many (others) are starting to use it, but are waiting to see the results." Among the wineries currently producing wines from biodynamically-grown grapes listed in the Grgich Hills brochure are Quintessa, Viader, Araujo, Robert Sinskey and Benziger.

Other innovations

Biodynamic farming isn't the only innovation Jeramaz has brought to Grgich Hills Cellar. A new barrel stacking/rotating system has been installed that enables cellar workers to make a half-turn daily of each barrel of chardonnay to keep the lees stirred. Under the old system each barrel was stirred individually and churning the lees generates too much oxygen, Jeramaz said. The new system also cuts in half the time involved, he added.

The winery is experimenting with different size barrels - 163-gallon barrels for zinfandel and merlot, 600-gallon barrels for other red wines and 900-gallon barrels for chardonnay and sauvignon blanc. A thin steel jacket inside the barrels contains glycol to maintain temperature.

"We have the same wine in conventional barrels, and we'll be able to compare them" to see what difference the larger barrels make, Jeramaz said.

He's also experimenting with concrete barrels for white wines - yes, concrete. They're egg-shaped - "kind of symbolizing birth," he said - and are in two sizes, 70 gallons and 163 gallons. The egg shape and concrete are not susceptible to the electromagnetic forces that can possibly affect wines in steel tanks, the Grgich Hills literature said.

Chardonnay aging

Jeramaz is aging Grgich Hills' 2005 chardonnay in six different types of containers to see what effect each has on the wine. Both sizes of concrete barrels are used, along with 60-, 163- and 900-gallon oak barrels, and a 70-gallon stainless steel barrel.

Jeramaz, 46, didn't originally plan to go into the wine business. He was educated and trained as an engineer, and after obtaining a masters degree in his native Croatia, decided he wanted to come to California. "As a child I dreamed of coming here. I had never met Mike (Grgich, his great-uncle), because he left before I was born."

After arriving in Napa Valley in 1986, he lived with Grgich in Grgich's Yountville home for three years. "My life here was better than most immigrants," he said. "I thought I'd stick with Mike, I learned English and he taught me the wine business.

"I started washing barrels - they didn't care if I had a master's (degree) - I had to work my way up. It wasn't until the early 1990s that I did anything meaningful. There's nothing in the winery that I haven't done, not for just one day, but I really worked at it."

He took a few classes at UC Davis, but said, "I learned more working in the vineyards and in the winery with Mike."

The winery already had been practicing sustainable farming, but his thinking changed after he attended a lecture by Nicolas Joly, a French biodynamic winegrape grower. "I had the urge to do something (about it). I got about a hundred books and started reading."

Information about Grgich Hills Cellars' biodynamic farming methods can be found at www.grgich.com