Friedrich Becker Winery – great Burgundians from Schweigen in the Palatinate
The Friedrich Becker winery from Schweigen in the Palatinate is one of the leading estates when it comes to red wine from Germany. On the limestone soils around Schweigen and in the winery's barrique cellar, the German red wine revolution took place, producing a Pinot Noir quality that, in international tastings, need not shy away from comparisons with Burgundy. In 2006, Gault Millau named winemaker Friedrich Becker "Newcomer of the Year"; today, the winery holds 4 out of 5 grapes in the renowned wine guide, while Falstaff even awards it 5 out of 5 stars. Yet, even though the winery produces great Burgundians from the Palatinate today, it cannot look back on a long history in the bottled wine sector.
Friedrich Becker Winery – on this side and the other side of the border
Until the 1970s, the Becker winery was a mixed agricultural business typical of the southern Palatinate, which, among other things, grew grapes, made wine from them, and sold it as bulk wine to the cooperative. In 1973, Friedrich Becker Senior took over the business from his parents on the Southern Wine Route and rolled up his sleeves to change everything. He immediately left the winegrowers' cooperative and bottled his own wine for the first time, bearing the fox label, which is now the trademark of the Friedrich Becker winery. The young Friedrich Becker recognized the special quality of the vineyard sites and the potential they offered for his wines with their lime-rich soils and hillside locations on the edge of the Palatinate Forest in the Mediterranean climate of the Palatinate. He recultivated old vineyards and was happy to look at the paths taken by French winemakers, using them as inspiration for his own winemaking.
Today, the 29 hectares of vines at the Friedrich Becker winery are primarily planted with red and white Burgundy varieties on limestone marl, loess, and clay soils, but Riesling, Muscat, Muskat Ottonel, and Sauvignon Blanc are also cultivated here.
The top sites of the winery on both sides of the border include the Schweigener Sonnenberg; its individual sites Kammerberg, Heydenreich, and St. Paul are located in Alsace on the French side of the border. Friedrich Becker is a committed, nonconformist personality who pours his heart and soul into creating great, distinctive wines that bear witness to an uncompromising awareness of quality. In recognition of this, the Friedrich Becker Schweigen winery has been a member of the VDP (Association of German Prädikat Wine Estates) since the year 2000.
