"Every year nature provides wine makers in Bordeaux a fresh canvas," says sommelier and wine expert Joel Prato. "This relationship with nature is evident in the unique taste of each Bordeaux vintage." In a place like Bordeaux, the seasons also have a huge influence on the character of a vintage. Weather can make or break a year. For example, a 2013 Bordeaux is a rare sight as fluctuating weather conditions meant many vineyards didn't have a crop to bottle. Nature determines production, not factory settings.

Beckmen Vineyards is one among some 100 American winemakers who have become certified as biodynamic grape growers, and healthy soils are at the heart of the method. This accomplishment is not for the inexperienced: to achieve the soil revitalization and elimination of outside inputs that biodynamics demands, vineyard managers have to work harder, smarter and at greater time and expense to produce the crops they need for wine.