Gols, Burgenland, Austria
“I seriously believe in this low-intervention winemaking and I am going to continue like that. For me this is not about a trend, but a deeply held commitment.”
- Judith Beck
The Judith Beck estate is based in the Burgenland commune of Gols, in the Neusiedlersee region, on the eastern – and warmest — side of Lake Neusiedl. Gols is part of the larger Burgenland region in easternmost Austria, which enjoys a very warm climate defined by the Pannonian plain to the east and the Lake. Indeed, this is Austria’s warmest wine growing area, the first to harvest, and the production center of its finest full-bodied, dry red wines. Judith’s parents, Matthias and Christine Beck, founded the family estate in 1976. Judith Beck made her first vintage in 2001 and in 2004 she assumed full control of the winery. After graduating from the Klosterneuburg Viniculture College Judith Beck gained international experience at world-renowned wineries, including Chateau Cos d’Estournel in Bordeaux, Braida in Piedmont and Errazuriz in Chile. Managing the family winery comes naturally to Judith who has an innate “sixth-sense” feel for the regional varieties Zweigelt, Blaufrankisch and St. Laurent. Judith Beck’s wines are at once elegant, fruit forward and complex expressions of her vineyards. They are pure and vivid expressions of the varietal and the unique vintage character.
Blaufränkisch is a grape mostly planted in Hungary and Austria, where it has been cultivated since the 18th century. This vineyard is very far from the center of Gols, and is officially named Fürstliches Prädium, but locals have called it “Koreaa” since the 1950s. As Judith comments, “When we rented the vineyard in 2016 we decided to use this nickname for the wine from this site.” Koreaa is Judith Beck’s original white field blend of many different grape varieties including Grüner Veltliner, Weissburgunder, and Welschriesling, amongst others. This skin-contact white wine smells of mandarins, tangerine, papaya, mango, and a finish of lemongrass, white flowers, and a lick of salt. Easy drinking and so fresh. Green tea, candied orange, and freshly squeezed clementine vibes. Pair it with a middle eastern spread of dips and spreads with pita and warmed olives, seafood pasta with a white wine, butter and garlic sauce, grilled ahi tuna, shrimp kebabs, or mild curries.