The German playwright Bertolt Brecht argued that art is not merely for entertainment, but to unsettle, to provoke thought and challenge our assumptions. Art, he claimed, should incite. Few works fit this notion as aptly as Bambule – Revuelta, the film penned by Ulrike Meinhof in 1970, which stirred such controversy that it was ultimately censored.
Its script condemned the authoritarian methods in homes and juvenile centres, depicting an uprising against oppressive structures. Beyond the specific narrative, the film acts as an uncomfortable mirror of its era's society: rigid hierarchies, imposed discipline, and a youth beginning to say enough. Cinema with nerve, uncompromising.
Years later, Bambule emerges in a vastly different context, far from the screen and closer to the earth. Not as a citation or explicit homage, but as a word imbued with energy. This is the name of the wine range by Judith Beck, a winemaker in Burgenland, Austria, heir to a family estate and a very personal philosophy of winemaking.
After studying viticulture and gaining experience in wineries in Bordeaux, Piedmont, and Chile, Judith took over winemaking at the family estate in 2004. Since then, her vision has been clear and unpretentious: “Wine, the joy of living, and pleasure go hand in hand. We prefer wines that accompany you, that are enjoyed with all the senses.”
The Bambule wines are born from this ethos. Whites with skin contact, vibrant and direct reds, crafted without filtration or added sulphur. They are living wines, with tension, not seeking to please everyone or fit into a mould. They simply are what they are.
Bambule! Furmint is a prime example. It originates from gravelly, well-drained soils on gentle southwest-facing slopes at an altitude of 175 metres. It is made from furmint, a grape that was pivotal in the region when Burgenland was part of Hungary and was primarily used for sweet wines, until it fell into obscurity. In 2017, Judith decided to revive it, drawn by its pronounced acidity, aromatic intensity, and unique character.
The winemaking process is straightforward and precise: manual harvest, 5 days of maceration, spontaneous fermentation in old tonneaux, and ageing in used 500-litre barrels. No filters, no embellishments, allowing the wine to express itself as it is.
Fresh, sharp, with a crisp and lingering finish, Bambule! Furmint is a toast to identity, tension, and freedom. And sometimes, there is no more honest way to provoke.