Judith Beck has turned her family's estate in Gols into one of the most quietly influential biodynamic addresses in Austria.
Backstory
The estate was founded by Judith's parents, Matthias and Christine Beck, in 1976. After studying viticulture at Klosterneuburg and gaining experience at wineries including Cos d'Estournel in Bordeaux, Braida in Piedmont and Errazuriz in Chile, she made her first vintage in 2001 and took full control in 2004.
The Region
The winery lies in Gols, in the Neusiedlersee region of Burgenland in eastern Austria. The vast, shallow Lake Neusiedl moderates the climate, while the warm Pannonian influence ripens the indigenous reds the area is known for.
Vineyards and Farming
Judith farms around 20 hectares in and around Gols. Inspired by the work of Rudolf Steiner, she began converting to biodynamics in 2007 and joined the respekt-BIODYN association, which certified her first biodynamic vintage in 2010. Nearly all of her wines are also certified organic, with the remainder coming from vineyards still in conversion.
Winemaking
Minimal intervention defines the cellar. Judith harvests by hand, ferments with native yeasts, leaves the wines unfined and unfiltered, and adds either zero or only minimal sulfur dioxide.
The Wines
She focuses on indigenous Austrian and Hungarian varieties common to Burgenland, especially Zweigelt, Blaufrankisch and St. Laurent, producing vivid reds alongside roses and skin-contact whites that have become favorites in the natural wine world.
