Weingut Friedrich Becker – great Burgundies from Schweigen in the Palatinate
Weingut Friedrich Becker from Schweigen in the Palatinate is one of the leading wineries when it comes to red wine from Germany. On calcareous soils around Schweigen and in the winery's barrique cellar, the German red wine revolution has taken place, producing Pinot Noir quality that does not have to shy away from comparison with Burgundy in international tastings. In 2006, Gault Millau crowned winemaker Friedrich Becker as the "Ascendant of the Year," and today the winery has 4 out of 5 grapes in the renowned wine guide, while Falstaff even awards 5 out of 5 stars. But even if the winery now vinifies great Burgundies from the Palatinate, it cannot look back on a long history in the field of bottled wine.
Weingut Friedrich Becker – this side and across the border
Until the 1970s, the Becker winery was a typical mixed farm for the south of the Palatinate, which among other things also grew wine 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 not only rolled up his sleeves but also completely revamped everything. He immediately resigned from the winegrowers' cooperative and for the first time bottled his own wine, labeled with the fox label, which is now the trademark of Weingut Friedrich Becker. The young Friedrich Becker recognized the special quality of the vineyard sites and the potential they offered for his wines with their calcium-rich soils and hillside locations on the edge of the Palatinate Forest in the Mediterranean climate of the Palatinate. He recultivated old vineyards and enjoyed observing the path taken by French winemakers and let himself be inspired.
Today, on the 29 hectares of vineyards of Weingut Friedrich Becker, red and white Burgundy varieties are primarily grown on calcareous marl, loess, and clay soils, but also Riesling, Muskateller, Muskat Ottonel, and Sauvignon Blanc are cultivated here.
Among the top sites of the winery on this side and across the border are Schweigener Sonnenberg, whose smaller sites Kammerberg, Heydenreich, and St. Paul are located in Alsace on the French side of the border. Friedrich Becker is a committed, unconventional character who produces great, independent wines with a lot of passion, which testify to an uncompromising quality consciousness. In recognition of this, Weingut Friedrich Becker Schweigen has been a member of the VDP, the Association of German Prädikat Wine Estates, since 2000.
