Lunar Calendar: How Moon Phases Impact Grapevine Growth and Wine Tasting

On August 19th, it will get dark as the moon moves 180 degrees from its new moon position, aligning with the sun and Earth.

Würzburg, Germany in full moon (Credit: Luca, unsplash.com)

At this time the moon disk is as close as it can be resulting in its complete illumination by the sun. The full moon is what we call this phenomenon.

We all know the power of the moon. It can affect the ocean tides but also us humans on a deeper level. Research shows that our sleep patterns change with the lunar calendar. We tend to sleep lighter during a full moon. This is different from when the moon is waning. This is only one example of how the moon is affecting our life cycle.

Moon and the Biodynamics

Similar effects can be seen with grapevines. These phenomena are the base for Rudolph Steiner's philosophy.

He was the man at the forefront doing the first steps of what we today call biodynamics. It was 1924 when he launched his book “The Farmers Course” in which he talks about the influence of the cosmic periphery on the life cycle of plants and animals. In the same book, he is talking about the moon's major role in biodynamics.

The Power of the Moon

The moon goes through different stages that last about 27 to 29 days. It starts as a small crescent, grows to a full moon, then shrinks back to a crescent before growing again.

Research shows that sap flow in plants helps support microbial life and improves soil aeration. Therefore, we recommend sowing any seeds for cover crops during this phase.

During the waning of the moon, sap descends, so you should prune during this phase to avoid tearing vines.

The Moon Cycle on Tasting

The Moon's cycle divides days into root, flower, leaf, and fruit days. This affects vineyard activities, like planting vines on root days when the Moon is waning. It also impacts how we perceive flavors when tasting wine.

In the lines below we summarise what the different phases mean:

Root day: On this day you normally won't get all the aromas so avoid tasting on this day if you can manage.

Flower day: Flower days are ideal for tasting aromatic wines such as Sauvignon Blanc or Muscat.

Leaf day: Those are the days when the vines focus on chlorophyll production. We recommend not doing tastings on this day.

Fruit day: Fruit days are ideal for tasting. Go for it. Enjoy!

Today, we are having Root Day. The next upcoming fruit days are the 24th and 25th of August.

It's worth doing a trial. Go and get your wine from VinoVoss.com taste it today and taste it again on the upcoming fruit days. The differences in taste will surprise you.

Lotte Gabrovits