When Hans Ulrich Hugel established with his family in Riquewihr in 1639, the town already carried a solid reputation for the quality of its wines. The crus of Schoenenbourg and Sporen were at the time amongst the most prized wines in Europe. His viticulture and winemaking skills made him in a lifetime one of the most respected producers in the area, but also a very influential gourmet and the head of Riquewihr’s vintners’ brotherhood, the most powerful in Alsace. What he probably did not expect was that his decision to settle in Riquewihr would start one of the longest existing family stories in the world of wine. As an homage, his initials still stand proudly on the family crest and on every bottle of Hugel wine. But time didn’t go by without challenges, from conflicts to the difficult vintages of the early XXth century, generations of Hugels have fought and worked hard for the continuation of their lineage, under the same name, in the same town, having the same profession. Today Famille Hugel is a synonymous with Alsace across close to 100 countries. With a resolute commitment to quality, the family supervises every aspect of the production, showing to the wine the respect it deserves. At Hugel no wine is put to market directly after bottling, a family blind tasting decides when it is ready to be sold, giving it time to spread its wings and find its place in the bottle it has been confined in. Firm believers that a great wine is a great wine over time, the Hugel cellars count close to 2 million bottles, some three years supply, waiting for their time, their optimum moment to be commercialized and enjoyed. Convinced it is through uncompromised quality, renewed efforts and constant adaptation and progress that their legacy will live on, Marc, Jean-Frédéric and Marc-André (12th and 13th generations of vintners in Riquewihr) proudly carry on this adventure, perpetuating the Hugel identity and style, often referred to as graceful and elegant. At Hugel you don’t make a wine, you grow it. All of its best expression is already in the grape.