First Conference on Modern Biodynamic Vitiviniculture
Viticulture and Oenology
Scientific Paradigms in Dialogue
Villa Medicea di Cerreto Guidi, July 11th, 2009
Concept and organization by Rita Mulas, scientific project by Leonello Anello
PRESS RELEASE
On July 11th, the First Conference on Modern Biodynamic Vitiviniculture, Viticulture and Oenology: Scientific Paradigms in Dialogue, was held at the Villa Medicea di Cerreto Guidi. The hospitality of Giovanna Damiani, Director of the Villa Medicea, and the support offered by Carlo Tempesti, Mayor of Cerreto Guidi, made it possible to bring to life the project born from the meeting between Rita Mulas, historical and scientific researcher, and Leonello Anello, Director of the Section of Biodynamic Agricultural Sciences.
The project stemmed from the need to create a physical and ideal space where the many themes of the wine world could be addressed with passion and with a transparent, non-ideological approach. This led to identifying Biodynamics as the core focus, an all-encompassing systemic alternative capable of serving as a natural point of convergence for all the major topics. Around this overarching theme, explored from the perspective of scientific methodology, a group of highly authoritative speakers gathered. This allowed the discussion to extend even into the field of epistemology.
The audience that filled the Villa Medicea on Saturday morning came from across Italy, reflecting the growing interest that has developed among professionals and practitioners in recent years. Participants were offered a day rich in meaningful content.
Sergio Valzania, Director of Programming at Radio Rai, introduced the theme of the historical evolution of scientific beliefs and moderated the conference.
Giancarlo Scalabrelli of the University of Pisa examined the complex interaction between ethical and social spheres and scientific and economic spheres in the emergence and affirmation of new scientific theories.
Mario Bertuccioli of the University of Florence energized the discussion, dismantling many of the commonplaces that currently affect the production, communication, and consumption of quality wine.
A tasting of ten wines produced using Modern Biodynamics, led by sommelier and digital expert Andrea Gori, provided essential practical support to the theoretical discussion.
Enzo Mescalchin of the Istituto Agrario San Michele all’Adige presented analytical results from several cultivation experiments conducted in recent years.
Finally, Leonello Anello, who over years of research has developed the Modern Biodynamic Method in viticulture and oenology, extensively tested and applied in various Italian wine regions, presented with great passion and clarity the contemporary reality of biodynamics. He emphasized its nature as a science and the specificity of its language and methodology.
These premises make it essential for anyone wishing to understand the scope and significance of modern biodynamics to approach it with strict scientific rigor and equal intellectual seriousness.
The Conference was not structured as a debate, as it served as the introductory event in a series of meetings designed to explore in depth the many facets of the vitivinicultural approach, with the clear intention of offering opportunities for direct exchange between speakers and the public. The goal is to make the Villa Medicea di Cerreto Guidi a center for high-level academic and professional research and outreach dedicated to wine, based on diverse scientific paradigms and methodological approaches.
Another key objective of the Villa’s initiatives is to activate concrete research and viticultural restoration projects in the surrounding territory, beginning with the land around the Villa itself. The aim is to restore to the soil’s fertility and care the central role in the social and economic dynamics of communities that has characterized every crucial phase of human history.
The media interest sparked by this initiative was significant, with numerous requests for further coverage from major sector publications and the general press. A summary of the presentations will soon be published online, while the official proceedings will be released in September.
