What if you could read the sky through halved onions? What if an old guild in Léognan could bless new wine? Belief is everywhere. Subtle, yet palpable. At times challenged by progress, at others supported by evidence—like in the measured effects of biodynamics—belief accompanies wine at every stage. Step into this Issue 07 without prejudice, your critical faculties fully engaged.
Biodynamics: from belief to evidence
In conversation with Manuela de Lachapelle, Head of R&D at Domaines Barons de Rothschild Lafite.
As Head of R&D at Domaines Barons de Rothschild Lafite, Manuela de Lachapelle explores what biodynamics, backed by evidence, brings to the resilience of Bordeaux estates and the redefinition of the winegrower’s craft.
Meteorology: the science of uncertainty
Weather: a lesson in humility, from folk wisdom to algorithms.
Whether guided by folk wisdom or modern forecasting models, farmers and winegrowers are searching for the same thing: a glimpse of what lies ahead. The weather, however, rarely offers certainty.
The order of the vine
Inside the Commanderie du Bontemps: where ritual, belief and community meet.
An old rite gives you a glimpse into why, even in 2026, the world of wine still believes in the power of the collective.
Terroir beyond dogma
Adapting our understanding of terroir for a warming climate.
Olivier Trégoat, Technical Director for Domaines Barons de Rothschild Lafite, argues for a more flexible understanding of terroir, one freed from rigid dogma, to adapt to the realities of climate change.
The manga that changed wine
How a Japanese manga, now a Netflix series, introduced a new generation to fine wine.
Published between 2008 and 2016 and now on Apple TV, Drops of God turned wine into storytelling, offering millions a new way to appreciate it.
Cellar or shrine? Lafite’s secret beneath the vines
Underground cellar or neoclassical temple? Step inside Lafite’s most fantastical structure, designed by the visionary Catalan architect Ricardo Bofill.
Visually arresting. Faintly mystical. You might be forgiven for mistaking the underground cellar at Château Lafite Rothschild for a shrine.
When rituals rhyme with reason
Proverbs, offerings and biodynamics: when rites complement reason.
In today’s vineyards, science reduces uncertainty, but it does not explain everything.
Dragons, roses and ladybirds
Untangling fact from folklore in the world of wine.
Deep-rooted traditions or ideas with no real basis? From Gregorian chants to the shape of a bottle’s base, here’s a look at some of the stories, rituals and myths that surround the world of wine.
Must you taste it to believe it?
A tasting game to test your convictions…and your intuition.
Match the right sensations to each stage of tasting. Between oenological precision and misleading clues, can you tell what’s what?