You’re probably wondering why I’m posting a picture of a dog with a basket full of flowers on my blog today.

Yes, it’s true that Tracie, the girls, and I are dog lovers and we count a Chihuahua and a Chihuahua mix as family members (Paco and RooRoo, respectively).

But it’s actually the flowers that make the image compelling.

This week at the weekly virtual wine dinner I host for my client Roma restaurant in Houston, we’ll be welcoming Emilio Fidora of the Fidora winery in Veneto.

Founded in 1974, Fidora claims to be the Veneto region’s first organic certified winery. And it was also one of the first estates there to convert to biodynamic farming.

But one of the things that I find so exceptional about Emilio (a super cool dude who lives in Padua where I studied for many years) is that he actually makes his biodynamic preparations himself. That’s his dog in the image above and those are some of the flowers he grows for the preparations.

For those not familiar with biodynamic preparations, they are powders made from flowers and herbs. They are then mixed with cow dung, which in turn is used to fill cow horns. Those horns are then buried and once the desired microbiome (bacteria and fungi) has been achieved, the horns are unearthed. Their contents are mixed with water and then sprayed across the vineyards to help bolster the “humus” or life force (some would call it the biodiversity) of the soil.

On Thursday night, we’ll be tasting three of Emilio’s wines paired with Chef Angelo Cuppone’s food. And Emilio will be walking our guests through the history and impact of biodynamics on grape farming and winemaking.

One of the things I’m most interested to ask him is the spiritual aspects of biodynamics. In America, many fine wine grape growers have embraced biodynamics but they tend to omit the historic movement’s quasi-religious character. In Europe, in my experience, winemakers seem more attuned to the metaphysical elements of philosopher Rudolf Steiner, one of the first and most widely hailed agronomists to champion biodynamics.

As always, it’s going to make for fascinating conversation. If you’ve never attended, I know you’ll enjoy our simpatico group of regulars.

See the menu and reservation details here ($119 per couple for three courses and three bottles of wine!). And please feel free to email me here if you’d like me to hold you a spot.

On deck for next week: Barolo producer Giuseppe Vaira from G.D. Vajra.