OUR VALUES
Faced with the legacy of our ancestors, where do we go from there?
For twelve generations, the heirs of the Jean Becker winery have worked towards producing high quality wine and promoting Alsace wines in France and abroad. In the search of progress, the latest generation managed to question its heritage while preserving these fundamental values. As an oenologist with a passion for geology, Jean-Philippe has brought all his expertise to the development of our terroirs and Grand Crus. This contribution is found in the ever refined work on the vine and on the winemaking process.

Organic agriculture at the heart of our philosophy
Aware of viticulture’s impact on the climate and the environment, Martine, Jean-Philippe, and Jean-François Becker took the first step towards sustainable agriculture as early as 1980, limiting chemical substances and treatments. They also went for a reduction in yield in favor of a higher grape quality and a better expression of the terroirs. In line with this commitment to better respect the vine, the environment, the consumer and the producer, the entirety of the winery officially moved to organic agriculture in 1999. Since 2001, all our plots are certified by the European organic label.
Ever since, this thirst for progress and experimentation keeps guiding us towards new experiences. Our practices bring us closer and closer to those of biodynamic agriculture.

Respecting the natural cycle of the vine
The majority of our work consists of our labor in the vineyards. We carry it out with care, precision, patience and humility, as we are convinced that a good wine is crafted in the vineyard first, and only then enhanced in the cellar.
Respecting the flow of sap
Pruning is the first step in the vine’s cycle. It is crucial in defining the grape quality, as it manages the balance between the vine stock’s strength and the load of the crop it carries. Our pruning method has recently changed to a Guyot Poussard type, which is more refined, more respectful of the flow of sap, and better equipped to ensure wines of the highest possible quality.
Giving the soil what it deserves
For our soil fertilization, we use homemade compost made from press residues enriched with farm manure, which we give back to certain vineyards in the spring. We also sow green manure made of cereals and legumes that fertilize the soil by capturing atmospheric nitrogen through the production of humus. This also helps to limit soil erosion in the winter. We do not use chemical herbicides in any way. Soil maintenance is exclusively mechanical through shallow plowing and mowing. Every year, we strive to experiment new techniques so as to adapt to the climate and find one that is less energy-intensive and more beneficial to the vine.
Protecting the leaves
We believe that respecting the natural cycle of the vine has a meaningful impact on the quality of a wine, hence we try to let the vine be and not intervene as much as we can. When necessary, we do so only with organic treatments made of Bordeaux mixture, sulfur, plant infusions and seaweed extracts.

Celebrating what nature has to offer
Grape harvest
At Jean Becker, grape harvest has always exclusively been done by hand. We take great care in choosing our harvest dates to ensure better grape quality. The grapes’ health must be impeccable, which is why our experts carefully check and sort them out in the vineyards.
Press wines (white wines)
Grapes are quickly brought to the press with as little intervention as possible. The remaining wine juice of lower quality is flushed out. The grape pomace from pressing is composted, except for Gewürztraminer pomace which goes to distillation.
Maceration wines (orange and red wines)
Grapes are scraped off, either completely or partially depending on the tannin input desired. Skin maceration helps maximize aromas and color extractions.
Fermentation
Our wine juice fermentation is triggered by homemade leaven, made from a fresh crop picked a week before grape harvest. We have chosen to minimize the intake of sulfites in our wines while maximizing the use of natural yeasts already sitting on the grape skins.

Evermore elaborate wines
Our expertise in geology, vineyard, winemaking and climate allows us to create increasingly complex wines, both subtle and full of character. Through our more authentic and natural vineyard cultivation and winemaking techniques, we can now guarantee products that reflect the unique identity of each terroir and variety better. Nowadays, our practices resemble more and more those of biodynamics. Our pleasure and drive to experiment led us to the creation of our “Nature” range consisting of bold wines. They are the result of our research in our wine cellar that allowed us to use only a very limited amount of sulfur to preserve our wine. Our research has resulted in us planting Syrah, a grape variety from the South of France, in order to adapt to climate change and study the opportunities to combine it with our terroirs. Beyond our traditional grape varieties, terroirs and Grand Crus, we are testing new winemaking techniques in hopes to bring a new and fresh perspective on Alsace wines.



