Sting may swear by it, but the rock star’s trick of using dung, animal intestines and cow horns to get the best out of his Tuscan vineyard has had the thumbs down from the Italian president and the country’s scientists.

After experts dismissed the so-called biodynamic method of making wine as no more than “witchcraft,” Italian MPs backed them this week by blocking and amending a bill granting legal recognition to the technique, which is gaining popularity with wine growers.

“We have avoided giving official status to a method that has no basis in science,” said one MP, Riccardo Magi, who led opposition to biodynamics.

“I come from farming stock — we always knew you need to observe the cycle of the moon and some elements of biodynamics may be well founded. No one wants to stop people putting dung in a cow’s horn, but this is about giving public money to a method which is not scientifically proven,” [Magi said]

He added: “Raindancing is fine, just don’t put it in a law.”

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