Blamed a bad day on Mercury in Retrograde? You’re not alone. According to the New Yorker, astrology “is currently enjoying a broad cultural acceptance that hasn’t been seen since the nineteen-seventies.” It has been applied to everything from compatibility in relationships, to productivity at work – now it’s even being applied to the world of wine production and consumption [1].
How does that work we hear you cry? Well it’s all to do with the moon. Every month, the moon moves through each of the 12 constellations in turn. These are grouped into four types of day:
Root: Virgo, Capricorn, Taurus
Flower: Libra, Aquarius, Gemini
Leaf: Scorpio, Pisces, Cancer
Fruit: Sagittarius, Aries and Leo
The principle behind biodynamics is that the moon influences all living organisms, depending on how it moves through the constellations each month. When it’s closest to the Flower or Fruit constellations (known as Fruit or Flower Days) are generally considered the best days for drinking wine.
On these days, white wines supposedly taste more aromatic and flavourful, whilst reds have softer tannins. By comparison, wines can seem muted or harsher in taste on root and leaf days.
Biodynamics got you baffled? Luckily, as Aldi continues its mission to open up the world of wine to all, the supermarket has picked out some of the best wine drinking days for us so you can test the theory for yourself. Here’s some of the top days for drinking wine in the next few months:
- Don’t wait for the weekend: Friday 28th and Saturday 29th (until 10pm!) are sumptuous fruit days – the best time to enjoy a glass of wine, but avoid popping anything special on Bank Holiday Monday (31st August) as it’s a complete Root day
- Those who love a Halloween celebration, you’re in luck – it’s a full fruit day on 31st October
- Likewise on Bonfire Night, remember remember to choose wisely on 5th November, a fresh flower day to mark in the diaries
- Guaranteed merriment this year, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day are fruit days perfect for celebrating but keep an eye on the clock for Boxing Day, the lunar calendar moves into a root day from 11am – so better savour the last of the Buzz’s Fizz quick!
What are biodynamic wines?
The same principles used for drinking wine are also being used by some starry-eyed winemakers across the globe when it comes to growing wine.
The moon’s position to the star constellations determines which part of the plant is thriving – during the earth signs roots are at their best, whilst the water signs influence leaf growth, air signs encourage flower growth, while fire signs are responsible for fruit growth. This influences when the seeds are sown, and fruit is harvested.
Sam Caporn MW, explains:
“The subject of biodynamic wines is a really fascinating one and tends to provoke a fair amount of both passion and scepticism! The idea of grape growers consulting the moon and cosmos does indeed seem a little wacky but there are very passionate people who believe very strongly it impacts the quality and life of the soil, and the health of the grapes.In the world of wine, we have an expression that great wines are made in the vineyard – and there are many world class biodynamic wines, so it must be working for them! I’m certainly a fan of wines made this way.”
Whether you’re looking to strategically diarise a dinner party or just make sure that bottle you’ve been saving is going to taste it’s best, ensure you’ve got the basics of wine tasting covered by having a scroll through Aldi’s free wine course, the Aldiploma – with six online modules and video tutorials featuring, Mistress of Wine, Sam Caporn, you’ll have more than the luck of the stars on your side. Aldi.co.uk/Aldiploma
