Mike Grgich knows wine. And he knows good wine. He was born into a family of winemakers. His 1973 Chardonnay was selected to compete at the famous Paris Wine Tasting of 1976, where it ranked best white wine and instantly elevated the status of all Napa Chardonnays. After his success there, he went on to establish what I consider one of California's greatest wineries, Grgich Hill (and I doubt I'll meet anyone who will disagree). The winery produces consistantly outstanding wines, and earlier this week released its first biodynamic offering, which I am very eager to taste! From Wines & Vines:

Coincident with its 30th anniversary July 4, Grgich Hills Estates has released its first biodynamically produced wine, a limited-production 2006 Sauvignon Blanc called Essence. Grgich Hills owns 366 acres, all certified organic and farmed biodynamically. Most of the vineyards are certified biodynamic by demeter Association, and the winery expects the rest to be certified this year. Co-founder and winemaker Miljenko "Mike" Grgich says, "We believe that we are the largest biodynamic grapegrower in the country." The grapes were grown primarily at Grgich Hills' cool American Canyon vineyards in southern Napa Valley, which limits vigor, producing fewer grapes with more intense flavor.

Biodynamic farming is a specific type of organic farming that goes a step further and employs certain agricultural methods which are unique to this kind of farming. For more information on the subject, you can read the FAQ on the Grgich Hill Web site.