BHILAR BERRIA

Starting with just three hectares in 1999, David Sampedro, a vigneron from Elvillar in Rioja Alavesa, converted his vineyards to organic farming, revealing a unique side of Rioja. Today, he and his wife Melanie manage 17 hectares of certified organic and biodynamic (Demeter) Estate vineyards, cultivated exclusively by plow-horse. In 2016, they built a sustainable, solar-powered, off-grid winery near their village. David’s forward-thinking vision, focused on biodynamics and expressing the limestone soils and old, high-altitude vines of Elvillar, sets him apart in the region.

Biodynamic farming works in harmony with natural ecosystems to preserve and protect life’s diversity and species for future generations. The Demeter Biodynamic® Farm Standard is a comprehensive organic farming method that requires the creation and management of a closed system. Farmers must be minimally dependent on imported materials, meeting all needs with the living dynamics of the farm itself.

As with organic production, the use of GMOs, synthetic chemicals, fertilizers or pesticides is not permitted. The art of Biodynamic cultivation lies in choosing the right time for all applications. This requires sensitive understanding of the rhythms of the earth and the cosmos, as they have documented positive effects on the flora and fauna of the farm.