Peter Windrim | The deep thinking winemaker that understands good produce has a sense of place

The Regenerative Journey with Charlie Arnott

This episode sees Charlie sit down with the impressively bearded and deep thinking Peter Windrim. Peter is a biodynamic winemaker and farmer, creative director, graphic designer and photographer. His contribution to agriculture has evolved by opening a wine bar in Byron Bay to encourage community and create conversation around natural wine. Having lived and worked on his family’s biodynamic vineyard in the Hunter Valley, he has philosophised his own definition of the practice which he explains with absolute conviction. He is a heart felt voice that places importance on knowing yourself and your vocation.

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Episode Takeaways: I think there’s so much confusion there and I’ve been guilty myself of lip service and using other peoples words. So many people care about it and get lost in the beautifully, philosophical, touchy-feely nature of what biodynamics is | Rudolf Steiner, the father of biodynamics “Sulphur is what the spirit moistens its fingers with into the physical” | Thankfully now there are a lot of people who have caught the wave of the climate change movement & who have cottoned on to the importance of soil | I think there are certain products, the luxury consumables like wine, that people care a bit less about because they’re in it for a good time | Biodynamics is sympathetic agriculture but I felt lonely on the farm. Community is the backbone of what I do. I’m going to build a bar and build a community around natural wine | Wine was hijacked by the aristocrats and scientist 60-70 years ago. They gave it all this new language and judging shows based on clarity and purity and all of this stuff that wine wasn’t, and that farming isn’t, nor should it be | Biodynamics is like the global pandemic, the more you learn to work with it, the more power it has | It sounds simple but if the farm looks good, aesthetically pleasingly good, you’ve done it right. And if you have pride in what you do, you’ll make it right | Everything that we do, informs the next thing that we do. We get so boxed in with where we should be….“No I can’t change career”….”no I’d have to study that first”…it’s such a shame that we feel like we can’t evolve with the fabric of our old selves | You’ve got to know what you know. People need to ask more questions

Episode LinksKrinklewood Vineyard - Hunter ValleySupernatural - Wine Bar Byron Bay Rudolf Steiner - Father of Biodynamics/Philosopher Terroir in Wine - A Definition Organic & Biodynamic Wine - Wine Australia Education Radionics in Agriculture Nicolas Joly - Godfather of biodynamic wine/author Matthew Evans - farmer, author, The Gourmet Farmer, Fat Pig Farm