Cows and Wine - a Fine Pairing

What do cows have to do with the creation of a fine wine? One might wonder. For us, the two go hand in hand. Cows are earthly creatures, connected to the earth more so than many others. They are heavy, pensive, and generally calm. Through their physical presence on the land and our use of their manures in our compost, compost teas and cow pat pits, this earthly influence permeates the Estate. Both energetically and physically, they help us to grow vines that are more deeply connected to the land, to our terroir.

From a biodynamic perspective, cows, particularly ones that are lactating (producing milk), are an essential part of a farm. Nayan, who was the first Jersey calf that we brought onto the farm, is now fully grown and has just had her first calf, Kiran (Hindu for ‘ray of light from the sun’). We like to think of Kiran as a force of warming, positive and formative energy on the land, like the sun. She is particularly significant to us since she is the first milking cow born on our land, a true biodynamic cow. She is of this land and her connection to it will be passed on to us, our vines and wines, through her energy and manure, for many years to come.

Welcome 'home' Kiran!