Hugel & Fils

Hugel & Fils - Primum Familiae Vini from the beautiful Riquewhir

No other Alsatian family has had such a lasting influence on Alsace viticulture for centuries as the Hugel family from Riquewhir. When the German lands were ravaged by the Thirty Years' War, Hans Ulrich Hugel arrived in Riquewhir, surrounded by picturesque wine hills. Not long after acquiring citizenship, he rose in the hierarchy of the Renaissance town to become the guild elder of the vintners - undoubtedly one of the most important positions within the community of Reichenweier, which was still Würtemberg at the time.

Winegrowing has been documented in the region around Riquewhir for more than 2000 years, but especially in the Middle Ages Alsace excelled with the highest quality wines in Europe. They were real export hits, which was favored by the proximity to the Rhine - the main trade route in Europe at that time. The prosperity that wine brought can still be seen in the townscape of the villages south of Strasbourg. Representative buildings such as the house purchased by Hans Ulrich Hugel's son can still be admired today, making Riquewhir one of the most beautiful villages in France (Plus beaux villages de France) in documentary terms. While viticulture grew strongly during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, Alsatian grape juice did not fare well in the centuries to come. Wars and revolutions contributed to the decline of the reputation and other regions of the present France moved to the vacated place at the top of the wine producers.

Rooted in Riquewhir for 12 generations

Since the time of Hans Ulrich Hugel and his son of the same name, the wine production of Hugel & Fils has always passed from father to son. Over 370 years of experience in the vineyard are also reflected in the constantly growing ambition of the Hugels. Emil Hugel, together with the other winegrowers of Alsace, ensured at the beginning of the 20th century that winegrowing in Alsace once again had a future, his son Jean Hugel led the company to the top of the region and his sons Georges, André and Jean are largely responsible for the fact that the quality classifications "Vendanges Tardives" and "Sélection de Grains Nobles" once again found their way into French wine legislation. The generations of ambition, the associated success and the good reputation of the family business led Hugel & Fils to the ranks of the eleven selected Primum Familiae Vini.